A Means to an End
by EnglishPoet18
Summary: This takes place where Season 3 left off. The Governor has just attacked the prison again and this time Beth and Daryl are pushed into the forest in an attempt to survive. They have no idea what has happened to their group but they know they have to stay strong for each other because they may be all that's left...Rating 'M' for language and "possible" graphic sexual content later..
1. Chapter 1

**_**Author's Note: Testing out a new story here. Still getting a feel for it and I think I might try something darker with this one so if this bothers you, you may want to turn back now. I'm still trying to keep with the same story plot from the show but I may differ from time to time as the story progresses. Another warning: This may contain graphic content in later chapters. Again, if this is a problem, you may want to find another story. I'm not sure if I'm on to something or not so I need your reviews. If you want me to pursue this, please let me know. If I get enough reviews wanting me to continue, then I will. I don't want to do it if it's not interesting, LOL. Thanks in advance, you are all so great!_**

_The world had gone to shit. _

That was the only way to describe it. Daryl watched the young girl huddled under the tree across from him. Things had went wrong. Very wrong.

_People had died. _

He wasn't sure how many people had died at the prison from the Governor's attack. He remembered walking around the yard, keeping his eyes peeled for activity. He hadn't seen them coming. They had slipped past them all. The Governor had a new army now. A strong army and it was no joke. He had seen firsthand the bullets tear through Hershel, Tyreese, and Glenn.

His hands clenched into fists.

He didn't know what happened to the others. The new army had completely taken over and there had been walkers everywhere. It had been no match for Daryl alone and she hadn't been much help. It wasn't her fault, she just wasn't skilled. They had escaped through the fence and ran into the woods just as the explosions had started. Daryl had taken her as far as possible just in case but even still, they heard the explosions. They went on for so long it startled them both when it finally went quiet. They didn't know what the quiet was supposed to mean.

_Were they all dead?_

He knew she was barely keeping it together. She mourned those fallen from the war; he could see it in her eyes, in the defeated way she followed him. He had expected more of a fight. He had expected her to want to stay but she followed along behind him and he didn't quite know what to make of it.

They had walked for quite some time until it started to grow dark. There wasn't a place nearby to take shelter so Daryl had told her to sleep while he kept watch. He didn't know what else to offer her. He knew she deserved much more than a restless sleep against a tree, but he couldn't perform miracles. He wanted to tell her that they were okay, but he didn't know that either.

He was worried that they might be found at any time. If they were lucky, the Governor would think they were dead. He figured they would wait a day and then they would circle back to the prison and see what was left. _Who_ was left.

She mumbled in her sleep and his eyes cut to her. She started muttering and jerking and he crawled on his knees over to her. He shook her gently.

"It's alright," he whispered. "Go back to sleep. Yer safe."

She didn't awaken but her movements ceased and she resumed sleeping quietly. He sighed and sank down next to her. He kept an ear and eye out for any movements but there were none. His body ached. He was so tired and the stress he felt was unbearable. He adjusted his bow and reached into his pocket for his cigarettes. He had half of a pack left and he was trying to make them last. He lit the end and took a long drag before blowing it out. He leaned his head back against the tree and tried to focus on anything else but the girl sleeping next to him.

...

Beth awoke from her short sleep and her neck throbbed painfully. She slowly opened her eyes and all she saw was forest. It took her a minute to get her bearings about her and then she remembered. The Governor. He had killed her family. She wasn't sure about Maggie. She hadn't _actually_ seen Maggie go down but she had seen her Daddy and Glenn fall from gunshots. She hadn't been able to go to either of them. There had been too many walkers and too many enemies with guns. She had gotten dragged along with Daryl and they had escaped through the fence.

She felt guilty. The explosions had started soon after they had managed to escape. They had left them there. She assumed that no one else had escaped. A part of her still held out hope, but she knew it was useless. The Governor had bombed the place and there probably wouldn't be anything left standing when they went back.

_If _they went back. She wasn't sure of his plans yet. She looked around for him and spotted him with his back to her, leaning against a tree, a few yards off. She wondered what he was doing and then saw that he was relieving himself. She slowly stood up and tried to take several deep breaths. She ran her fingers through her hair and then stopped.

_Was she really worried about her hair when her family might be dying?_

She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to tell him they needed to go back but she knew it would be a suicide mission this soon. The Governor was likely waiting to see if there were any survivors that he could finish off. If he wasn't, his army might be in these woods somewhere and they could run into them. That would be very bad.

Daryl was an excellent shot but he was only human. One man against thirty wouldn't make it, no matter how good they were. It's not like she could be of any help to him. She had taken care of Judith, it hadn't exactly prepared her for a life in the woods with no shelter and no skills. Her heart hurt as she thought of Judith. She hoped that in a miracle, they had managed to escape. Maybe they would find their way back to them. She could only hope.

...

Daryl pissed next to the tree and tried to think of a plan. He had nothing. He had seen her sit up and he knew she would ask. He would like to be able to tell her he had everything under control and had a plan but he would be lying. In her current emotional state, he just couldn't do that to her. The people in the prison had meant something to him, true, but they hadn't been his blood like they had hers.

He thought of Carol then. He thought of them all. It was all he _had_ thought about all night long while sitting under that tree. He wondered if they were all dead or worse- if they had been captured. He hoped for their sakes that they had died as opposed to being captured by the Governor's men. He knew that the sick bastard would likely torture them to the point that they would beg to die. He shuddered at the zipped up his pants and rubbed his forehead.

_Damn if he wasn't tired. _No time to rest now though, he had to be strong for her. She would never survive if anything happened to him. He had to find them some place safe to rest and recuperate before they went back. They needed food and water.

He needed sleep.

...

Beth watched Daryl walk back over to her slowly. She could see the fatigue in his features and she felt sorry for him. She was extremely hungry but she kept it to herself. There was no use bothering him when she knew he didn't have any food and was likely just as hungry as she was.

"Get some sleep?" He asked.

"Some." She replied.

She felt the hard metal of the knife against her leg through her worn jean pocket. Daryl had given her his knife last night because she had nothing on her. The knife she usually carried had been lost at the prison amidst the chaos. She hadn't used this one yet but she knew it was sharper than her other one.

She heard the groans of the walker approach a second before she saw it. By then, Daryl had raised his bow and put an arrow through its dead skull and she watched it fall to the ground. He walked over and retrieved his arrow. He wiped it on his pants to get rid of the guts and put it back with his others. He looked back at her.

"We should move." He said.

She nodded and fell into step behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

****AN: Thanks for all the positive reviews! Glad to see everyone is enjoying it so far. Given what the characters are going through, they may differ from how you know them on the show. This is a lot for them to go through and it's going to be slow pacing for a bit as I try to set the scene and visit their thoughts. As for those who read my others stories, don't worry- I don't plan on abandoning them. They aren't over yet! Thank you to those who took the time to review. Even if it's only one word, I cherish each one! Enjoy!**

Daryl treaded silently across the forest floor but Beth barely shuffled along. He tried to keep an ear out for walkers or others but he couldn't seem to focus with the sounds of the leaves crunching behind him. He tried to keep himself from snapping at her, he knew she was just as tired as he was. He was running off of pure adrenaline. If they were attacked now by a large herd or by actual people, they might die because he just didn't know if he had it in him. He would fight until he could no longer, that much he was sure of. A Dixon never quit.

They walked for some time. They passed walkers staggering through the woods, some as close as a few trees away, but they would alter their course slightly and pass them by. He had noticed a change in the walkers. They were slower here, likely from lack of food to keep them going. You could always spot a fresh one, those would come at you pretty fast and you better be ready or you would be dinner.

It was so muggy out and the sun shone down through the trees in spots. He was thankful for the cover of the trees; at least it provided some relief. He snuck a glance behind him to the girl. She was hanging with him. He had to give her credit, he didn't think she would last this long. She didn't say anything and he was actually kind of glad. He wasn't in a chatting mood.

Finally, they came to the edge of the trees and Daryl held up a hand for her to stop. She sank back against a tree thankfully. He peered out of the woods and saw that they were probably on the outskirts of some town. It was definitely off the beaten path and something you would take if you wanted the scenic route. There were few houses scattered here and there and he surveyed each of them in turn.

There were a few walkers ambling around the side of two of the houses but the last two seemed empty. He cut his eyes down the road and watched to see if he could see anything. Giving Beth a signal to stay put, he crawled to the road and peered down at the dirt. He didn't see any tire tracks that looked fresh and that was a good sign. It meant that the Governor likely hadn't been in the area or if he had, it had been some time ago. He turned to go back to get the girl and spotted a house further down the road to itself. It was set back from the road and from what he could tell, it was two stories.

Making his decision given his limited options, he went back to Beth. She was falling asleep on her feet but quickly came alert as he walked up to her. She stood up shakily and he wondered if she was going to fall out on him.

"Come on. Found us a place. Keep yer knife ready." He whispered.

….

Beth felt unsteady on her feet. She really hoped he found a place for them to rest soon or else she was just going to sit right where she was and sleep. She was almost to the point where she didn't care if she was eaten; she just needed to close her eyes. Then he came back and said he found them a place. She wanted to weep happily, but she didn't have the energy for outward emotion. Grabbing her knife as he asked, she held it ready and tried to focus. She could do this; she could push a few more steps.

She followed him across the road quietly. Rather, she _tried_ to follow quietly. She wasn't near as quiet as Daryl. He had to be running off of air and he still managed to move soundlessly. She tried to mimic him and failed miserably. She gave up and just trudged along behind him.

They passed several houses and then there were a few trees and suddenly they were standing in front of a house that just seemed to pop up out of nowhere. It was decent sized. It looked like it was two stories but she couldn't tell with the way some houses were built now. It had a wraparound porch that had various rockers placed on it. If she wasn't in the state she was in, she might say it was beautiful. At the moment, though she would probably think the jail was beautiful. She just needed a place to lie down. She needed to come to terms with all that was happening. She needed to rest.

Daryl placed his hand back protectively against her to stop her suddenly. His hand had touched her belly only briefly, but the brief intimate contact sparked something deep inside of her. She was too distracted to think much of it though. He caught her eye and pointed to the back corner of the house where there were three walkers leaning against the house. It was funny how sometimes they almost appeared to be sleeping or just resting. She didn't know if they required such a thing. Daryl crouched low and fired off three rapid shots from his bow.

She watched his intensity curiously. He was really an enigma to her. She knew next to nothing about him other than the basics. He had a brother, he was good at killing walkers and tracking, and he had been close to Carol. She wondered if he missed her. She missed Carol. She missed them all. Someone _had _to make it. There _had _to be someone left. She thought about Michonne. She was a killing machine; surely she had made it, right? Her thoughts made her dizzy and she followed behind Daryl as he retrieved his bolts from the walkers.

He walked up the steps of the porch and peered inside. After a few minutes, he motioned back to her to follow. He eased the door open and she kept an eye on the area behind them, although she wasn't sure at this point how much help she would be. He shot off one arrow and she heard the clump of a body falling. She trailed along behind him as he crossed the threshold. She followed him into the kitchen and stayed to look for food while he checked the other areas. Opening the cabinets, she found a few cans of fruit, canned meat, and a couple of cans of soup. Not much, but enough to keep them alive a little longer. She looked up as Daryl came back in the kitchen. He surveyed the food she had spread in front of her and then looked at her.

"Ya might wanna gather that up. We goin' upstairs." He said.

Beth nodded and looked underneath a few cabinets until she found a sack. There were a few bottles of Gatorade stored behind the bags and she grabbed them eagerly. They went up the stairs and Daryl did a sweep of the rooms, but thankfully they turned up walker free. He glanced around and then pointed up. She looked up and saw an attic door. She was glad that he was thorough and always seemed to have a plan because if it were left to her, they would have slept downstairs on a couch. He pulled the string and the ladder was lowered down so that they could climb up.

The attic was stuffy and hot but at least they were safe for now. She crossed to the two windows and yanked them up to let some air in. There were boxes stacked into one corner of the attic but it was mostly empty save for a chair and some fishing equipment.

"What now?" Beth asked softly.

"We sleep. Eat. Ain't sure after that. I'll figure somethin' out." He replied wearily.

He swiped two throw pillows off of the chair and tossed one to her. She caught it gratefully and put her things down near the window. She fluffed the pillow slightly to rid it of dust and lay down on the floor. Daryl followed suit a few spaces away and she lay there, waiting for sleep to overcome her.

That was the last thing she remembered doing before she drifted off.

…..

It was the noise that finally woke him.

He sat straight up and listened. The owl hooted again and he relaxed a little. He glanced over at the barely noticeable form of Beth sleeping a few feet away from him. It was dusk out and they had slept the rest of the day away. He felt like he could sleep more and he tried to lay back down but it wouldn't come. He was used to surviving off of very little sleep. Leaning against the wall, he finished his cigarette from earlier. He glanced around the room and spotted the bag Beth had stored the food in and crawled over to grab it. He swiped the Gatorade out greedily and drank half before stopping. He had to remember to ration their food. He sat back and finished his cigarette while trying to formulate a plan.

Traveling at night was out of the question. She made too much noise and they couldn't risk it. He figured if they left right before the sun began its upward crawl then they could reach the prison before anyone else spotted them.

_Hopefully._

He grabbed a can of the soup and popped the top. He drank the contents in one swallow. They would have to make do on one can each for now. Maybe share a can of fruit but that would be it. He tried to remember the last time they had eaten but it was a little fuzzy. He let his mind roam to the others. They had strong people, good fighters, there was a slight possibility that someone else had escaped. He sighed. He could wonder all night and it wouldn't do either of them any good. The fact was that they _had_ escaped for whatever reason and they were together.

Beth mumbled in her sleep and he flicked his gaze at her. He had to teach her to fight, to kill. She needed to know in case something happened to him.

…

Beth groaned slightly as she rolled over. She was stiff from the hard floor but at least she wasn't quite as sleepy. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark and she noticed that Daryl was gone. Gasping, she sat up quickly.

"Hey. I'm over 'ere. It's alright." He said softly. He was sitting on the window sill and the moonlight illuminated his features softly.

Beth let out the breath she had been holding. She was absolutely terrified that something had happened and he had left. She didn't want to be alone, she wouldn't survive a day.

"Half a Gatorade and can o' soup's yers. I ate a bit ago." He said.

Beth didn't reply and instead reached into the bag to find the Gatorade. She twisted off the cap and drank thirstily. Some of it ran down her neck but she didn't care. It was Heaven to her parched throat.

She finished and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Thanks." She whispered.

He shrugged. "Need ta keep our strength up. Got lots ta get done."

Beth opened the soup and watched him while she drank the contents. She barely tasted it and could care less what kind it was. Her stomach received it eagerly. She probably could have had three cans but she understood the need to ration their food. She finished the can and set it down on the floor. Now that she had gotten some sleep and food, she was beginning to feel human again. With nothing to do, her mind wandered back to the prison and she saw her daddy getting shot again in her mind. She hugged her knees to her chest as the tears finally threatened to break free. Daryl stood up and crossed over to her. He sat down next to her.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked.

Beth shook her head but she doubted if he saw her answer. She was trying to hold it all together but it was hard.

"Listen, I know ya got a lot goin' on but we gotta keep it together. It ain't the time to fall apart." Daryl said.

"I know. I'm sorry. It just hit me all at once. I hate this not knowing!" She whispered fiercely.

Daryl crossed his legs and leaned back. "I know what ya mean. I'm still kinda in shock myself. If I ever find that bastard, I'll make 'em pay. You can beat yer ass on that."

He spoke in a low voice but his tone was ice cold. They all had their reasons for hating the Governor. Daryl's was that the Governor had killed his brother. She didn't understand the Governor's reasons for what he did. She knew he was a sick man from what she had heard from the others and what he had done to Maggie.

She looked over at Daryl to find him looking back at her. She blushed softly from his piercing gaze. She was glad for the dark so that he couldn't see.

"When are we leaving here?" She asked.

"I figure right before sun comes up," He paused. "You know how ta use that knife?"

"I just stab them right? It can't be too hard." She replied.

"It ain't hard but it does require _some_ technique. Ya need to be able to stab 'em in the head deep enough ta kill and still be able ta pull the knife out. That means ya gotta get close to 'em." She jumped as he suddenly appeared in front of her face. He was so close she could feel his warm breath.

"Think ya can handle that?" He asked.

Beth swallowed. He was still close. "I…I think so."

He nodded and sat back. "Good. That will have ta do for now."


	3. Chapter 3

He watched while she slept again, her frail little body twitching and tossing in the light of the moon. It would soon be time for the day to break and he would have to wake her to prepare for the journey back to the prison. He figured they would eat again and then start the trek back through the woods. She mumbled in her sleep and he started to get up but she grew quiet again.

That was one reason he wasn't sleeping right now. In his dreams, he would be locked into them with no escape until his body decided to awaken. At least when he was awake, he could force his mind onto other things. He leaned his head back against the wall and blew out a breath. He could be making his way back to the prison right now if she had more skill in killing walkers but she didn't so here they were.

She jerked and sat upright, bringing his eyes back to her. He pushed up from his spot against the wall and went to her.

"Ya alright?" He asked.

"No." She whispered back. Her voice shook and he could tell she had awakened from a nightmare. He had had his share of nightmares throughout his lifetime so he knew the feeling.

He eased down beside her. "Ya jus' gotta focus on somethin' else for a while and it'll go away." He said softly.

She turned her face towards him and he could barely make out her features in the shadows. "How do you know?" She whispered.

He shrugged. "I've had my share o' nightmares."

She touched his arm with her hand then and he felt the warmth of her fingers clear through to his bones. "I'm sorry."

Her touch felt like fire to his skin and he wanted to pull away but he struggled to stay still. He didn't want her to know how much any affection made him nervous.

He didn't like to be touched. In fact, he hated it. He supposed it had to do with the fact that his Old Man used to beat him. He remembered the routine well. He would inevitably fuck something up and his Old Man would come after him with a belt. His Ma would come in and try to reason with the man but there was no reasoning with the devil. Seeing that she couldn't stop it, she eventually quit trying and instead she would stroke his face and whisper sweet nothings in his ear while the belt snapped against his flesh. His brother had never been much help at first, no one could do much with the Old Man once he was in one of his moods. Daryl eventually grew smarter at recognizing when he was in a mood and he would stay away, sleeping at a friend's house or in the park somewhere. He knew that Merle had had his share growing up but those had stopped once Merle could fight back. Merle was a tough son of a bitch when he wanted to be. He had learned from the best.

"Daryl?" Her voice cut through his thoughts.

"Yeah?" He wasn't sure if he had just missed something she said.

"What will we do if...if..." Her voice grew thick and she stopped.

Daryl shifted positions. "If they ain't all there then I guess we go lookin' for 'em." He replied.

She seemed to think about this for a few minutes before speaking. "So you don't think they're all dead then?"

Darryl blew out a breath. "This is deep conversation for this time o' day. Ain't there somethin' else we can talk 'bout?"

"Okay. What's your favorite color?" She asked.

Daryl raised an eyebrow. "Are you shittin' me?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood. We don't know each other that well." She said.

Daryl thought about that a minute. They _didn't_ know each other very well, but he didn't see how knowing his favorite color was going to change that. He could think of other ways to get to know each other but this wasn't the time nor the place.

"Maybe we should jus' be quiet." He commented.

"We could eat." Beth suggested.

Daryl thought that sounded like a better idea. His personal life wasn't that interesting and he would rather discuss anything besides the others at the moment.

"Sounds like a plan." He said.

...

After they had eaten and their bellies were fuller than they had been previously, the sun was peeking out over the horizon and Daryl suggested that it was time to head out. Beth made sure her knife was still in her pocket before Daryl eased the attic door back open. They had nothing to carry with them. There had been no time at the prison to grab anything once the war had started. She followed Daryl back down through the house and waited while he checked to make sure the front was relatively clear.

"We'll head on back 'cross there the way we come." He said and pointed across the road.

Beth nodded. "Okay."

"Stay close." He said before opening the door. He had his crossbow on his shoulder and his knife was out. She figured it was easier for him to use the knife and take them out than having to use the bow and waste precious time retrieving the arrows. They encountered two walkers while crossing the road and Daryl quickly knifed the first through the eye. Beth tried to take on the second walker, but her knife fell short of her mark. It stuck into the walker's neck and spewed blood across her shirt. The walker grabbed her hands and she fought the urge to scream as Daryl finished it off with a knife into the head.

He put his foot against the walker's throat to pull out her knife and he handed it back to her. She grabbed it and noticed it was covered in sticky red blood and pieces of walker. She wiped it on her pants as she had seen Daryl do.

Daryl nodded at her. "We gon' have ta work on them skills."

Beth smiled slightly in apology. "I guess I'm pretty useless, huh?"

Daryl startled her by almost smiling back. "Ya ain't completely useless." He muttered.

They continued on across the road and entered into the camouflage of the woods. They passed by a walker who was sitting at the base of a tree and it tried to rise as they moved quickly by but it was too weak to do more than attempt to move. She tightened her grip on her knife and tried to remain focused. It was slightly more difficult today because she was actually rested so she was more aware of what was going on. Food made a lot of difference in a person's mood too and she could already tell it in Daryl because he had talked to her more early this morning than since they had left the prison.

As they walked, the silence settled back in and once again, the only sounds to be heard were the sounds of her feet as she stepped on sticks or leaves. _One day I'll master his walk_, she thought. She figured the absence of walkers in the forest meant that there must be a shortage of animals for them to feed on. She began to pray that it wasn't because they had all gravitated to the prison because that would be bad news.

...

Daryl let his thoughts wander as they forged on. His thoughts drifted to his companion and how little he knew about her. Earlier when they had been talking in the attic, he had gotten the insane urge to kiss her. It was crazy because she was so young and innocent where he wasn't. He had kept a lot of things about himself secret from the group. They knew bits and pieces about his life but not the darker areas. There were some things he figured that Merle hadn't even known about.

He had to get his head straight, to stay in the game. Now was not the time for his concentration to be slipping. He had no idea what horrors they might face when they finally arrived. He only hoped the girl behind him could hold it together. The last thing he needed was for her to fall apart. That would leave them both vulnerable because Daryl couldn't leave her even if he wanted too. He had always felt the need to protect certain people and she especially, made him feel that way.

He became more alert as he realized they were coming up on the prison. He could recognize the area because he had so frequently scouted the woods in search of game to kill. He had noticed there was an absense of animals in these parts. That must mean the walkers were getting to them before they even had a chance to bear offspring. He slowed his pace as the prison loomed ahead through the gaps in the trees. He could see smoke still wafting into the air, no doubt from a fire the explosions must have caused. They paused at the edge of the trees and he stole a glance at her to make sure she wasn't going to try anything crazy like running out into the open. He heard her sharp intake of breath and turned to survey the damage himself.

...

Beth followed closely behind Daryl as they came to the edge of the woods. She could smell smoke and as they got closer, she saw it drifting into the air. She briefly felt his gaze as she stared out into what had once been the prison. She drew in a sharp breath.

This was not the place they had once called a home. This was now a pile of gaping bricks. Chunks of bricks blown off of the building were lying scattered around the grounds. The fence was all the way down, no longer providing a barrier for anything.

The most disturbing thing for her were the bodies.

There were so many bodies and they were everywhere. It was hard to distinguish between walker and human. She could feel herself trembling with the urge to run down there and see who the bodies belonged to. Part of her didn't want to know; she didn't want to see those she loved lying lifeless upon the ground.

She felt Daryl's hand clasp her shoulder and she cast a tearful gaze at him. He squeezed it reassuringly and she struggled to fight the rising tears and panic. She pushed them down deep and forced herself to remain calm. She could do this. She _would_ do this.

She met Daryl's questioning glance and she nodded briefly.

It was time.

...

Daryl watched her fight for her composure and he worried she would break on him. Then, miraculously, she managed to pull through and she faced him with a stern expression and nodded that she was ready. He didn't see any immediate threats and he had already checked the surrounding woods for any signs of movement. So far, there didn't appear to be anyone around.

With Beth trailing close behind him, he crossed over to duck behind a stack of bricks. He peeked out the other side and saw a couple of walkers making there way over to what used to be the courtyard. It was now a pile of brick and random odds and ends from inside the prison. He motioned with his head for Beth to follow and they set out from behind the brick to half of a wall that was still partially intact. He peered inside and found that it was the cellblock they had resided in and he swallowed hard as he saw some personal items that must have belonged to one or more of them at one point. He ushered her over the wall and looked back out over the courtyard and into the woods.

There was still no sign of the Governor and he started to relax a little. Maybe he had gotten what he had seeked and was far gone from here. As they moved further down, Daryl heard the walkers before he actually saw them. Coming to a halt behind a big metal locker, he peered around it to see the reason why there were really no walkers wandering around anywhere.

They were feeding.

He turned to Beth and saw the blatant fear registered in her eyes. Turning back to the walkers, he counted. There were a total of twelve walkers gathered around the body. Daryl had almost twelve arrows for his bow and he felt like if he got the majority taken care of, then he could knife the rest.

"Whatever you do, don't look." Daryl whispered to her.

She looked at him with wide frightened eyes and nodded. He turned back to the feeding frenzy and raised his bow. He squinted and settled on the one with it's head closest to him. He let it fly and the walker fell down into the midst of teeth and hands. So far, it hadn't fazed the others and Daryl quickly loaded up another and shot so that it went through the ear of one walker and pierced the eye of another. The group began to break up and a few of the walkers staggered around but then went back to the source of their food.

Daryl fired out three more arrows in rapid succession and now had it narrowed to half that were there before. He had two arrows left. He tightened his hold on the bow and fired them at the two biggest walkers that were left. That left them with four. He put his bow back onto his back and crossed in front of Beth to the other side of the wall. He ducked down low and crept up behind the last four. He had no way of telling who they were eating. All he could see was a mass of blood and guts. He flexed his fingers around his knife and took a deep breath. Holding it in, he ran up to the first and slashed his knife across the back of it's neck. The head fell off and the walker's mouth continued to move as it tried to bite anything within reach. Daryl stomped on it with his boot and smashed the face in while turning to the next one who had begun to show interest in the possibility of more food. He stabbed that one in the middle of the forehead and pushed it down to the ground at the same time that he pulled his knife out.

The last two were getting to their feet and still had remains of human flesh hanging from their lips as they tried to make their way to Daryl. They came around the side of the body and their raspy groans filled the air. Daryl ran at them and pushed the one in front down on top of the one behind it. He held his forearm against it's neck and rammed his knife as deep as he could. He was rewarded with the sickening crunch as the blade went through the first walkers head and he forced it deeper so that it reached the one underneath. The walkers stopped squirming instantly and the air grew still and quiet as Daryl took a minute to catch his breath.

He wiped his forehead and collected up all the bolts he had shot. Then, knowing he had to look, he walked over to the body they had been feasting on. The stomach and neck were a tangled mess of organs and blood. He saw red hair and blue eyes that stared blankly up at the sky and he slowly let out the breath he was holding. Whoever it had been, it was not someone that they had known. Daryl turned back to the wall.

"Ya can come out now." He called quietly.

Beth's head poked around a second later and he knew she had been waiting anxiously. He shook his head at her and her shoulders immediately relaxed a little. It was hard to not feel something for people that were dead, but they saw it so much that the only deaths that affected them were the ones they had come to know as their own.

...

Beth had never been so relieved to see Daryl confirm an unknown body than she was at that moment. She didn't think she could have held it together if it had been one of their group torn apart like that. She knew it wasn't over though. They still had more ground to search.

She followed Daryl around and through the maze of obstacles that littered the ground everywhere. She had always thought the prison to be indestructible and now here it was, reduced to a big pile of rubble in a matter of hours. How naive they had all been in thinking that they were safe. Nothing was safe anymore.

She bumped into Daryl suddenly because she wasn't paying attention.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

He didn't move. She followed his gaze and saw what had caused him to pause. Wedged between concrete slabs was a walker that had turned but been unable to release itself from the weight of the concrete. She swallowed the lump in her throat as it stirred and reached for them hungrily. She recognized Tyreese's features and her head throbbed painfully. Directly underneath him lay Sasha. She had suffered a lesser fate than he and as they drew closer, Beth could see the hole in her head where the bullet had entered. She dropped to her knees beside the still form of the girl. She hadn't known her that well because they hadn't been with the group long but she had known enough to know that they had been good people who didn't deserve this fate.

There were lots of bodies that they didn't recognize and some they did recognize from the Woodbury group amidst the rubble. Every body that they saw that wasn't one of their own, they breathed a little easier. _Maybe they had all escaped._

They were coming full circle when Daryl suddenly spun around and blocked her view. His face had gone chaulk white and he gripped her arms painfully. She began to panic.

"Who is it?" She whispered as tears formed at her eyes.

Daryl's grip tightened before he seemed to catch himself and he loosened his hold. She watched the struggle pass over his face and she trembled.

"Daryl?" She asked shakily.

Daryl's gaze softened as he looked her in the eyes. "I can't let ya see that."

"I have to know. Is it one of ours? It is Mag-"

"It's Hershel." Daryl interrupted through clenched teeth.

Beth felt the panic rise in her once again. She remembered seeing him being shot but somehow her brain had refused to believe that he would be gone. Her daddy had always been her rock. He was the one who fixed everyone else up, not the one who died. She stood still for a moment and then lunged around Daryl. He wasn't going to keep her from her daddy. She would go to him and somehow she would save him like he had saved so many others before him.

She caught Daryl off guard and he made a grab for her but she was determined and she slipped around his grasp. She stumbled a little but caught herself and scattered forward before coming to a stop and falling to her knees in horror. She knew now why Daryl had kept it from her. She closed her eyes as if she could erase the image that was now burned into her brain. The tears slipped hot and heavy down her cheeks but she barely noticed. She began to shake uncontrollably and she felt Daryl's arms encircle her and he crouched in front of her. She sagged against his warmth and let the sobs tear through her soul.

...

Daryl had seen a lot of shit in his life. Good and bad. However, the image that greeted him when they rounded the last corner topped the list of the bad. In the seconds it took for his mind to process it, he had spun around and gripped Beth's arms tightly to shield her from it. He had hoped that she would heed his warning and not look. For a minute he had thought she might not try it and then she had made a break for it. He made one last attempt to stop her but it was too late. She came face to face with the man who had once been Hershel.

He watched her face as she stared at him in shock and then dropped to her knees. He gave one last glance at the body that was crudely mounted to the makeshift cross. It served as a warning and it made its point loud and clear. As if the fact that he had been bound to the cross wasn't enough, the marks and shots that marred his body sealed the message. The Governor knew there were survivors and he was letting them know that this was their fate should they dare to cross his path.

Daryl spit out the bile that rose in his throat and he looked at the ground.

"What a sick son of a bitch." He muttered.

His gaze was drawn back to Beth who was shaking badly and sobbing quietly. He knew she needed comfort and although he didn't think himself best for the job he put his arms around her anyway. He felt her relief as she clutched at him and let out all of her pain and anguish. He struggled to think of words to say that might comfort her but this wasn't his area of expertise.

"Think of Maggie an' Glenn. The others. They still out there somewhere. Ya must be strong for them." Daryl said.

Beth's sobs lessened and he felt her nod mutely against his chest. He hoped the fact that there had been no other bodies to be found would be enough to carry her forward. He had expected more than this many fatalities and he was relieved that there weren't.

Beth's voice cut to him. "Please. Take me away. I can't be here." She mumbled dully.

Daryl nodded and being careful to keep her angled away from the sight, he picked her light body up into his arms and walked away.

****AN: Okay... this one got a little dark and graphic. I hope you are all still with me. I promise it's not _all_ like this! I will warn you again though, this may get off character slightly from the Beth/Daryl you know and that I normally write. It's going to get dark at points and if that bothers you or you don't think you would like them out of character, then please turn back now. I don't want to disappoint anyone. For those who are still hanging with me, thanks! Please toss me a line and let me know your thoughts. Thanks to all those who have and will review! Much love to you all! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Pain.

That's the only thing that was keeping her going now. The pain was excruciating and it wouldn't let her just give up. Every part of her body ached and she didn't know how bad the injuries were. After a certain point, you just stopped caring. She was at that point.

She tried to close her eyes but her left eye was so swollen that it wouldn't shut all of the way. She could close it halfway before she grew dizzy. She wanted to touch it, to try to guage how bad it was, but as usual, she couldn't use her hands. She knew she was bleeding from somewhere because every few minutes, she felt the trickle of it sliding down her leg. She briefly wondered if she would be so lucky as to bleed to death. At least she wouldn't have to be here anymore.

She thought about the others like she had so many times before. She had moments where she hoped they would come for her but it had been days now and she didn't even know where she was so she knew they would have a hard time. Then there was the fact that she wasn't even sure that there still _were_ others. _If_ anyone had been lucky enough to make it away from this, she wasn't sure they would be looking for her. She wouldn't really blame them if they didn't.

She remembered everything in slow motion. It had been an ordinary day and no one had had any reason to suspect that anything was wrong. Everyone had been on edge because of the Governor but no one had expected him to show when he did. She had no idea where he had found the army of people from, but apparently he had decided to change his image. He was harder than before, more twisted if that were even possible. The shooting had been the first to start and the shots had come from all over and no where had seemed safe. Even with the Woodbury people, they weren't equipped to fight off a big army. Most of the people from Woodbury had limited to no experience, having been sheltered in the town for so long and they hadn't lasted long in the fight.

As if the shooting wasn't bad enough, there had been explosions. Just when they had thought that they might be able to hold their own, the explosions had started. Their people had scattered for cover and they had fought back as best they could but she had seen others drop quickly down around her. It was hard to keep shooting while others were falling but that is what she had done. The prison that had once seemed so safe was now just a pile of bricks in the middle of nowhere.

She wasn't sure if anyone else was alive but the Governor must have thought there were survivors because he had ordered his men to tie Hershel onto a makeshift cross. It wasn't enough to just have him tied there though. She had watched his men shoot Hershel repeatedly and then the Governor had slashed him up with his knife. Thankfully, Hershel had already been gone before all of this had taken place. It wasn't much to be thankful for, but she was glad that he hadn't had to endure that pain. She had vomited repeatedly at the sight of it and she didn't think she would ever forget it. The Governor had smiled the whole time and it had sent chills down her spine. He was sending them a message that he was back, and he was stronger than ever.

She swallowed softly and winced quietly as her throat protested the movement. She had bruises there and she didn't know the extent of them but she hadn't spoken much. Her mouth was so dry and she desperately wished for a drink of water to quench her thirst.

She knew he was trying to wait her out though, to make her beg. He thought she had information on the others but she really didn't. They had never fully discussed a meeting location in the event that something like this happened. She guessed that Rick had never imagined anything to this extent. She definitely knew _she_ hadn't.

She tried to remain as still as possible so as not to attract any unwanted attention. They would come back over to her and taunt her again if they thought she was alert. There weren't any other women here that she could tell and the men weren't of the finest character.

She remembered thinking that she was in the clear once the explosions had died down. Somehow she had managed to survive through them and she had attempted to go and find the others when he had pressed the barrel of his gun on the back of her head and demanded she drop her weapon. She had seen the crazy look in his eye and the way his eyes were bright with excitement. He was turned on by the killing and it disgusted her. She had had no choice but to go with him and hope that anyone who was left might take the opportunity to escape. Running through the woods and dodging walkers had to be preferable to this torture.

She had been blindfolded and her hands had been bonded together. Then she had been hit with something hard and after that she remembered nothing until she had woken up in this strange place. She was inside some sort of building and she was chained to the wall. She remembered the men pawing at her when she had first awakened, scared and panicked. Their grubby excited hands had groped her and several had tried to mount her. She had fought and bucked against them but she was outnumbered and they were stronger. They had felt no regret at punching her and slapping her until she had tasted her own blood in her mouth. She hadn't seen the Governor since his men had had their fun with her but she knew he was around. No way would he miss the show. She knew he had watched; she had felt his eyes on her.

Her clothes were hanging in tattered shreds on her body, barely leaving her any modesty. She didn't care as long as they left her alone. It seemed that as long as she pretended to be passed out, they would grow bored and leave. The more she fought against them, the more excited they became.

She desperately needed to relieve herself and she tried to hold it but it was becoming unbearable and really starting to hurt. As quietly as possible, she let it go and felt the slight trickle as it ran down her leg. She burned with embarassment. Deep down, she knew this was his plan. He wanted her to be broken and he wanted them to find her so that he could take out the rest of them.

She felt his presense before she saw him. She quivered a little with fear and she struggled to appear calm. Inside she was screaming and her stomach was churning.

"Well, well, look who has decided to awaken. I was beginning to think my men took this too far. I wouldn't want you leaving us before the others arrive." His face appeared in front of hers so suddenly that she jumped despite her best efforts.

His hair was longer and a little shaggy around the ears. He still wore the patch over one eye and she wondered if he ever took it off. She remained silent as he watched her.

"Not speaking are we? Where are your friends, my pet?" He smiled deviously.

"Dead." She croaked.

The Governor's smile disappeared. "We've been over this. All of their bodies have not been found! Where are the rest?" He yelled into her face and she shut her eyes.

Her mistake.

The slap that followed sent her head snapping to the side and she bit her lip to keep from moaning. Her head began to throb dully.

"I'd...rather...die." She said between clenched teeth. She meant it. She wanted it to end. She thought that if he was provoked enough, he might go ahead and kill her, but so far they had managed to keep her alive and alert. She had never felt so hopeless in her entire life.

The Governor smiled in response. He gripped her chin between his fingers painfully.

"That can be arranged."

****AN: Okay, so a few things about this chapter. First, it's short. I apologize but it's short for a reason. Second, this has no Beth/Daryl at all. (Again, I apologize) Third, no I did not say who this person is for a reason. This is to give you insight into a little of the Governor's world at this moment. I promise there will be answers later. Maybe not the next chapter, but they will be answered in time. Please review, it makes me so happy! (Ok, I think I need some chocolate now) :)**


	5. Chapter 5

****AN: We're back to Daryl and Beth now. We'll revisit the Governor at a later time so sorry for all those who were expecting a reveal of the group member. We'll get there just not right now. Anyways, I love all of the responses/reviews I am getting for the story and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! :) Thank you for all of the review love!**

It had been a few days since they had walked the prison in search of their group. Daryl had found a few tracks but after following them for a bit, the tracks had trailed off. If it was their group, then they had covered their tracks well, probably to keep the Governor from following. They had made their way back to the prison and Daryl had taken Hershel down and she had helped him free him from the cross. She had fought to keep her emotions hidden and surprisingly she hadn't broken down. They had worked together and buried him so that he wouldn't be displayed for walkers to eat. She had left a couple of rocks over the grave to serve as markers. Daryl had stuck his knife through Tyreese's head to put him out of his misery. Since he was stuck between the concrete, there hadn't been much they could do with the body so they had left it there. They weren't able to bury Sasha because the walkers had already gotten to her dead body and she had no longer been recognizable.

Daryl had found them another house to stay in this time. They had traveled a different direction and along the way he had darted into a store where he found some more food to hold them over. They only spoke when they had to and even then it hadn't been much more than a few sentences. It had become normal for them to use hand signals or gestures and that eliminated much of the need for speaking.

The house they were in was small, with only one floor and one bedroom. There were a few houses in the area but the walker population seemed low so Daryl had decided the house was fit for them to stay for the time being. She never argued with anything he decided, she just followed him along. She wouldn't survive without him anyway and it made no difference to her where they stayed.

She had helped him get the house ready and they had broken the wood from the furniture and what they had found scattered throughout the yard to cover the windows and doors so that they could sleep safely at night. The house itself had been free of walkers and they were both surprised and relieved. There were still no signs of their group and Beth was beginning to lose hope that they would find them. She figured the odds were better of running into the Governor at this point. She leaned against the couch and closed her eyes. So many different things had happened over the course of a few weeks and she didn't think she would ever get used to any of it.

"We need ta practice yer technique." Daryl spoke up from across the room. She hadn't heard him enter, so she jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. He was standing by the doorway just staring at her. She slowly stood up.

"Okay." She replied. She grabbed her knife from the pocket of her jeans and followed him to the hallway. He moved some pieces of furniture out of the way to make room and came back to stand in front of her.

"Let's see what ya got. Pretend I'm a walker." He said.

Beth tightened the grip on her knife. He stood still in the center of the room watching her and the intensity of his gaze made her nervous. Beth sprinted across the room and swung her knife like she had seen some of the others do. Her aim was too low and Daryl's hand expertly caught her wrist and pushed the knife away.

"Too low. Try again." He muttered.

She took a deep breath and walked back over to her starting point. She took her time this time and when he caught her wrist, it was over his head. He nodded thoughtfully. They practiced again and again and each time she missed, he made her try again until finally she began to hit her mark each time.

"Come 'ere. I need ta show you how to defend yerself against people." He commanded.

She was tired and really wanted to lie down for a bit after all of the walking they had done but she knew this was important. If somehow they got separated, or worse- captured, she would need to know this to have a fighting chance. She wasn't prepared for the intimate position it put them in, however. As soon as she walked over Daryl grabbed her by the wrist and twisted to pull her back flush against his body. His other arm curled around her neck and he had her pinned in a matter of seconds. She could feel his warm breath by her ear and she shivered a little.

"Alright. This hold seems hard ta break out of but ya gotta know what ya doin'. Lift yer foot and stomp on mine, bite this arm as hard as possible, and then I'll show ya how ta twist out of it."

She hesitated. She didn't want to bite his arm or step on his foot. So she stomped lightly on his foot and softly nipped him on the arm.

"What tha hell? Do it like ya mean it." He growled.

"I didn't want to hurt you." She replied.

He snorted. "Do it." He commanded.

She drew in her breath and brought all her weight down onto his foot. He merely grunted but he bent slightly and she latched onto his arm so hard that he yelled and let go. When she looked back at him, she saw she had drawn blood and she immediately went over to him. She tried to grab his arm but he pulled back.

"I'm sorry. Let me see it. Maybe I can wrap it." She said softly.

"Ain't nothin'. Let's keep goin'." He said.

"Let me see. I shouldn't have done it so hard." She persisted.

"Damn girl, if I needed ya help, I'd ask for it. Now let it be!" He yelled. He turned on his heel and stalked off to the living room.

She couldn't understand his frustration. First he had asked her to bite harder and now he seemed mad that she had bit him too hard. She sighed. She had been trying to get close to him and maybe get to know him a little better but he was so closed off most of the time. She wondered what it would be like if they never found the group. Would they always be this way around each other? She was saddened to think so.

She walked into the living room and saw him leaning against the boarded window, looking through the slats to the outside. It was still light out but even with the windows boarded, they could still see just enough inside the house. She could see he had his brows drawn together in concentration. She walked over to him and touched his arm, intending to take a better look at it.

In seconds he had her backed against the wall until he saw it was her, then he backed off a little. He looked down at his hands and then back at her face.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

She could see from his expression that he must have been deep in thought and she felt bad for disturbing him. She watched the emotions fleet across his face.

"Daryl?"

His eyes rose up to meet hers and she could see the anguish and tiredness in them. She hadn't thought about how this might be affecting him. They had lost people they had _both_ cared about and now he had the added responsibility of taking care of her. She knew she was a burden and she was determined to make up for it. His expression was so tortured for one moment that she just wanted to grab him and hold him.

His eyes drifted to her lips and she licked them involuntarily. He reached for her then and she stepped into him at the same time. Their lips crashed together as they each clung to one another and the affection they so desperately sought. She had only kissed a handful of boys in her lifetime and none of them had ever been like this. Kissing Daryl was different, more passionate. He seemed just as into it as her and when their tongues met, she moaned into his mouth, wanting more. He pulled back then, and thrust her away from him. He wiped his mouth and stood there, breathing heavily. She watched him, unsure of what she should do. This was unfamiliar territory for her and she stood there awkwardly.

After a minute, he focused his attention back to her. "We've got work ta do."

With that, he walked back into the hall without another word, and waited for her to follow.


	6. Chapter 6

It rained all day the next day and Daryl decided that they would have to stay put for now. He wasn't confident of her abilities to kill walkers effectively in good weather, much less in the rain. He was stressed because soon cooler weather would be rolling in and then winter. It would be hard for the two of them to survive a winter alone but he figured they would manage some way or another.

He glanced at her sleeping form huddled into the couch from his perch by the window. She was breathing softly, her blanket having come unraveled from her body and hanging halfway onto the floor. He glanced back to his window. He shouldn't have kissed her. The last thing they needed was to make things more complicated than they already were. He was pissed because the kiss had turned him on. She was definitely inexperienced but Daryl had enjoyed it nonetheless. The way she had looked when he had pushed her against the wall had made him want to do more than kiss her.

He sighed softly and continued watching the rain through the slats on the window. He tried to figure out their next move. He was hoping to catch another one of those trails they had ran across. He was almost afraid to hope that it might be one of their group. It hadn't been a lot of people though, maybe three sets of prints. He really wanted to come across the Governor. If he could catch him when he wasn't hiding behind his army, he could kill him. He wasn't fond of killing people, but it had to be done. If Merle were still alive he would have told Daryl to suck it up. He would have laughed at him for not having his way with Beth. Daryl smirked at the thought.

She started thrashing on the couch and his gaze snapped over to her. She was bucking and twisting her head from side to side. She was having another nightmare and this one seemed rough. He pushed himself away from the window and crossed to where she was on the couch. She muttered something in her sleep and her breathing grew panicked.

"Shit." He cursed.

He sat on the edge of the couch and grabbed her arms to shake them gently. "Hey, wake up."

Her eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up but his hands were tight around her arms. Her breathing began to ease as she focused on Daryl and her surroundings. Daryl slowly let her go and watched as she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"For what?" He asked.

"That you had to wake me up. I was having another nightmare." She said.

"Ain't no problem. You was fightin' tha devil over here."

She nodded softly. "I dreamed I was captured by the Governor. He killed all of our people in front of me. Even you." She added.

Daryl didn't know how to reply. He knew that must have been a hard dream to have to endure. That's why he preferred to sleep as little as possible. The dreams didn't come as frequently when you didn't sleep long enough.

"Ya need to quit thinkin' like that. We'll find 'em eventually. I'm sure they lookin' for us too."

Beth looked at him. "I know you're just trying to make me feel better. I appreciate that, I really do. Let's be honest though, odds are they are either dead or captured." She muttered.

"That's some deep thinkin' ya doin' girl." He replied.

She shrugged. "Not much else to do. We don't talk much and most of the time we are moving from place to place."

Daryl bristled at that comment. What the hell was he supposed to talk to her about? "What do ya want from me?" He demanded.

She faced him on the couch. "I don't know Daryl. A friend, a conversation, a...kiss."

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "Ya need to be careful what you ask for." He growled.

She pushed the rest of her blanket onto the floor and scooted closer to where he was sitting on the couch. He stayed very still but his eyes followed hers. When she lifted her hand to touch his face, he caught her wrist. She gasped but quickly brought her other hand up and he caught that one too. He brought her hands together firmly behind her back. She looked up at him excitedly and his breath caught. He thrust her hands away and stood up. He paced over to the window again to check the rain. It was still pouring out.

He heard her behind him but he ignored her. She was playing with fire and his whole body throbbed. He heard her stop just behind him and he felt her hesitation.

"Daryl? Why did you kiss me?" She asked.

He didn't turn to look at her. "We'll head out tomorrow if the rain stops." He said instead.

She touched him on his back and he gritted his teeth. When her hand moved to his shoulder, he spun, grabbed her arms, and pinned them to her sides.

"This what ya want?" He rasped.

Beth flushed under his gaze. "I want you to touch me." She begged.

Daryl's eyes darkened. "Ya don't know what yer askin'."

He tried to scare her with his intensity but she just seemed to grow more excited by it. She tried to get closer to him but his grip on her arms tightened and he knew it must be painful but she didn't make a sound.

"Please. I want to feel again. I want to feel a_live_." Beth said.

His eyes flashed. "I'm not tha man for tha job." He slowly let her arms go and she rubbed them a little to bring the circulation back. He immediately felt bad for having grabbed her so hard. His hands tightened into fists by his sides.

...

Beth watched as Daryl grew so tense that he almost vibrated. She was incredibly turned on right now and she wanted nothing more than for him to touch her. She knew she was pushing him but she couldn't stop herself. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing but it must be working because he was breathing hard.

She wasn't sure what had come over her to grab him. He wasn't exactly in an approachable mood and she sensed his wariness. She was tired though. If this was how it was going to be the rest of their lives with just the two of them, she wanted her moment. She knew they weren't going anywhere and there was nothing much they could do in the rain so why was he hesitating? _Unless he didn't find her attractive?_

The realization that he didn't was quite a downer for her and she ducked her head in embarassment. "It's okay. I know I'm not really beautiful and I may not be what you want. I won't bother you anymore. It's just...I thought...well, I didn't want to die a virgin." She said quickly before she lost her nerve.

Daryl's eyes dragged over to meet hers. He stared at her for a few moments without speaking and she began to feel uncomfortable. She couldn't read his expression and she didn't know how to proceed. Maybe she had ruined any chance at all with him, to be friends or otherwise.

"Yer misunderstanding. I ain't never been with a virgin. I don't do gentle. I ain't one of those lovey dovey types." He said softly.

Beth mulled this over for a few minutes. He hadn't actually turned her down. That meant she had a chance. So what if he liked it rough? How bad could it be? She felt like she could handle it even though she had no idea what it entailed.

"I don't care." She said firmly.

Daryl smirked. "You will."

She pushed him back suddenly and he was so startled by her action that he fell into one of the oversized chairs that flanked the windows. She straddled his lap and kissed him. She tried to ignore the fact that his erection was pressing against her and she kissed him like her life depended on it. He didn't touch her, he just sat back and let her kiss him. She didn't know what she should do other than kiss him, so she just kept doing it over and over until he pulled back. He watched her through hooded eyes.

"Take off yer clothes." He demanded.

She hesitated momentarily and then she stood up and began to take her clothing off piece by piece. Once she had it all removed, she looked over at him shyly. She felt his eyes sweep over her and her body warmed. Finally, he stood up and pushed her into the chair. He kneeled between her and took her breast into his mouth. She jumped at the sensation of his mouth tugging her there and then she moaned at the pleasure it induced. He used his other hand to pinch her other nipple lightly and she gasped at the pain but it was quickly overrided by pleasure. His mouth left her breast and he suckled on her neck. His fingers traveled down her stomach and before she knew what was going on, he had slipped a finger inside of her. She clenched her insides involuntarily and he groaned slightly. She felt his finger slowly circle the inside of her and she felt her body grow wet. Her breathing began to quicken as he began a slow pace. She leaned her head back onto the arm of the chair and closed her eyes as the sensations threatened to overwhelm her. He eased another finger inside of her and she felt the pleasure building. He continued his assault at a steady pace until she felt herself tip just over the edge and then her body lifted out of the chair as she bucked underneath his hand. She rode out the orgasm until her body was spent and he quickly pulled his fingers free.

She heard him moving around and when her breathing slowed, she finally opened her eyes. He was lighting a cigarette. She wondered why he had done that. She wanted to help him out with his pleasure but she didn't know how to do that or if he would let her at this point. She felt awkward sitting there and she slowly got up and got dressed again.

"Is there something I can do for you?" She asked him quietly.

"No. Ain't takin' yer virginity either. Ya don't need nobody like me. That's tha best I can give ya." He muttered.

She stood there for a few minutes staring at him and then she walked out of the room.

...

Daryl was so hard he thought he might burst. One touch from her little fingers would probably set him off. He tried to focus on his smoke and he hoped his erection would go down before she could see it. He was furious with himself for caving in and giving her an orgasm. What he had really wanted was to drive himself into her tight little body as far as he could go. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and sighed as he took another draw from the cigarette. His life was one fucked up mess. Losing Merle, and now Carol and the others was screwing with his head.

He hoped he hadn't scared her too badly with his intensity. He usually tried to keep the fact that he liked rough sex hidden. Not many people looked at you the same when they learned you enjoyed a little roughness. He didn't know why exactly he enjoyed it but he did. Maybe it was because of the abuse he had suffered as a child? He didn't know, but his first experience with it had been with a slightly older woman. He wasn't proud of it, hell he wished sometimes that he was okay with affection but for the most part, he couldn't stand to be touched affectionately.

He had thought he had mellowed out quite a bit at the prison but the recent events seemed to have brought it back with a vengeance. He sighed and ground his cigarette out on one of the boards.

Sometimes he wondered if Beth was safer with him or out on her own.

****AN: So as I had stated before, they might get a little out of character from what we are all used to seeing. I haven't completely changed who Daryl is, I've just introduced the idea of him enjoying a little roughness. I think it's entirely possible considering his background and I could see him trying to hide it from the others. The next chapter might involve a little of a "time-jump" so I hope you are all still with me. The reviews have been amazing! I try to respond to everyone but there have been so many lately I'm having a hard time keeping up! So if I haven't responded to you I apologize. I've seen it and I probably thought I already had or either you're logged as a guest and I can't. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

****AN: There is going to be a time jump here of two months. I've noted it in bold because I realize that some of you don't read the notes and that's okay, I just don't want anyone to be lost. I felt it was necessary for a time jump to show their progress together and I hope I've covered any questions you may have about what has passed since the last chapter. I appreciate the reviews I got for the last chapter and I'm saddened I lost a reader but I appreciate those who still are hanging with me. I'll try to do my best! Again, this story will have periods of smut in it so I don't want that to be a disappointment to anyone. I feel that it's inevitable given that they are together 24/7. I hope you enjoy and please review and let me know how I did! It really makes my day! :)**

**Two months later...**

**...**

Beth cruised through the woods silently, taking her cues from Daryl who was several feet away from her on the other side of the trees. They were stalking a rabbit that Daryl had spotted running into the forest a few minutes ago.

They were between locations at the moment, having left their last site that morning to continue on. It had been two months and one week since the war. Beth had been keeping up with the days on a piece of paper she carried in her pocket. They hadn't found any trails that indicated the others were around except for one house that showed signs of someone having been there recently. There wasn't any solid proof that it had been any of their people though but they had still hung around it for a few days to see if anyone would return to it. No one had. She was disappointed but she was growing used to it by now. Each day that passed that offered no sign of their group, she lost a little more hope that they would actually find them. Daryl still seemed optimistic though and she knew he was thinking about all those times he had searched for Sophia.

Every time they found a place to bed down in, Daryl would teach her something new. He pushed her to keep going everyday and he made her practice until she prefected whatever it was he happened to be teaching her at the time. He taught her more skills with her knife, more ways to fight, and he taught her to use his crossbow. She hadn't expected him to let her hold his prized weapon but he had insisted she learn to use it as well. They had no guns, only their knives and his bow. She had gotten quite good at reading his facial expressions and she was even able to tread silently through the forest almost as good as he did. They were more like a team now, each of them working around the other, whether it be for food or against walkers.

She had killed lots of walkers now. While in training, Daryl would hang back and make her go after any stragglers they encountered. He would only jump in if he saw that it was more than one person could handle. He kept that up until one day, he no longer needed to jump in. He trusted her to take care of it and she proved to him that she was capable.

They still hadn't talked about what had happened that day between them nor had it happened again. There were times she would catch him staring at her like he wanted to touch her but he never acted on it and she never pushed the issue. At night when they slept, they slept separate from each other but always in the same room. It was mutually understood that they needed to stick close together and they did. They had gotten more comfortable with each other and sometimes if Daryl was in a good mood, he would tease her.

They never stopped looking for the others though. No matter where they ended up, they would search for any clue that their people had been there. They stayed near enough to the prison that they could get back to it in a day or two if need be but she thought it might be time to spread out farther to see if maybe the others had went farther out than they thought.

Daryl came up on the left side of the rabbit and she saw his gaze flick to her and she nodded. It was understood that she would run the rabbit back towards him and he would shoot it. She may have been a decent shot with his bow but she wasn't fast enough to shoot an animal running through the woods. It would take a long time to get to where Daryl was with a bow. She crouched down low as she paced after it. She made her move and darted out in front of the rabbit's path. As expected, it turned on it's hind legs and hopped back in the direction of Daryl. Minutes later, she heard the soft whiz of the bolt and then Daryl came trekking through the woods, holding the rabbit by its long ears.

"Eatin' good tonight." He commented as she fell into step beside him. He tied the rabbit to his belt by the ears so that his hands were free.

"Where we staying?" She asked.

"Ain't decided. Probably find a house or somethin' like usual. It's yer turn to pick. Comin' up on yer right." He commented and she turned to see the walker ambling towards her intently.

A quick swipe of her hand left the walker in a heap at the base of a tree. His head was caved in where she had stabbed him. Daryl continued walking and she jogged back to his side.

Suddenly, he reached out a hand to stop her. She followed his gaze and she was surprised to see a man come to a stop a few feet in front of them. He was a fairly big man and he was older, probably in his late forties, Beth figured. He smiled but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Daryl had already lifted his bow and had it trained on the man's forehead. Beth rotated her knife in her hands as she tried to access the danger.

...

Daryl eyed the man curiously. He didn't look friendly. In fact, he looked as if he had been up to no good and Daryl's eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip on his bow.

"Hey, easy now mister. I don't mean you and your pretty lady friend no harm. I'm just passing through." The man said and he held up his hands to show that they were empty.

"Ya by yerself?" Daryl questioned. He scanned the forest for signs of others but didn't see any indication of anyone hiding anywhere.

The man slid his gaze from Beth back to Daryl. "I got a wife and two little girls back at my camp."

Daryl watched the man's body language carefully. He had a feeling the man was lying but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Where's your camp?" Beth asked from beside him.

The man slid his gaze back over to Beth and smiled. His smile revealed rows of crooked teeth. "It's back there a good ways. I was just scoutin' for some food. Girl's are awfully hungry. You're more than welcome to join us."

Daryl felt Beth's shudder next to him but he kept his eyes trained to the man. "We alright. We was jus' headed out." Daryl spoke.

"You all travelin' with a group? We might could work out a deal and split that there rabbit you holding." The man spit out a yellowish green phlegm and Daryl saw that he was chewing tobacco. He also noticed the gun tucked into the waistband of the back of the man's pants.

"I said we fine," Daryl repeated. "We best be gettin' on."

"Hey now, why the hurry? I ain't gonna hurt ya. How about some company for a bit? The wife could sure use some female company. She's got her hands full with them boys all the time." He grinned at them.

Daryl's eyes slid to Beth and he realized she had caught the lie as well. "Thought ya said ya had girl's?" Daryl questioned.

The man's grin faded for a moment and then came back. "Why don't we just discuss this back at our camp? Girls, boys, all the same. Kids is kids. I'm sure this little sweet thing here could have herself a good time regardless."

Daryl felt his anger spike at the mention of Beth having a good time. He knew that the good time the man had in mind for Beth had nothing to do with kids.

"I think you best be movin' on." Daryl threatened.

The man sneered at them. He reached behind his waist and made a grab for the gun but Daryl was faster. He pressed the trigger on the bow and his bolt shot through the man's forehead. The man stood for mere seconds before dropping like a rock to the ground. Daryl and Beth approached him cautiously. The blood from the arrow was trickling down between the man's eyes and his eyes were frozen open. Daryl nudged him with his boot for good measure but he remained lifeless and unmoving. Daryl did a sweep of the forest for others before shouldering his bow.

"Help me flip 'em." He said to Beth.

Together they pushed the man over and Beth grabbed the gun from his belt. She passed it to Daryl who checked the ammo. It was a standard pistol and it was fully loaded. Beth checked the man's pockets but didn't produce anything of use other than a set of keys.

"What do you think these are for?" She asked.

Daryl eyed the keys. "'Dunno. Pocket 'em." He tucked the gun into the waist of his pants behind his back. "Let's go. Asshole." Daryl kicked the guy once more before they headed off.

He moved at a much faster pace now than before. He felt like something wasn't quite right with that situation but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The man hadn't been telling them the truth and he looked like he was the kind of scum that might run with the Governor. Either way, Daryl didn't want to stick around. Where there had been one, there would be others and they didn't need to be caught unaware when the guy's buddies came looking for him.

Beth kept pace with him easily. She was getting stronger now that they had been on the move constantly and he had been teaching her. He had taught her to use some of the hand signals he and Merle had used to use when they had been hunting and they had proven to be very useful. He was proud of how far she had come. He had done his best to stay away from her ever since that one day when he had given her that orgasm and she hadn't pushed him again. He caught himself dreaming about taking her but he tried to alter his thoughts when it happened. It didn't always work and sometimes he would go without sleep just to keep from the dreams returning.

He was worried that sometimes he pushed her too far. She wasn't the same Beth she had been from the prison. She was a lot harder and stronger now and he wasn't sure how he felt about the change. She had lost a lot of her innocence and he felt primarily responsible for forcing so much upon her. He didn't know a way around it though, she needed to know how to take care of herself. One day they would run across the Governor and he would need to know she was safe if something happened to him.

He watched her take out another walker as they came to the edge of the woods. They followed the dirt road on out to the highway and they crossed over quickly before they could attract the attention of walkers or anyone else that might be lurking. They walked on in silence. He waited for her to come to a decision about where they would sleep. It was late afternoon and they still needed time to prepare a place. She always took longer than him when it came time to choose. She tried to pick the fancier houses and he thought that was because they usually had the most comfortable beds. He wasn't that particular. As long as it looked secure and relatively walker free, he thought it was a good location.

"Do you think that guy was with the Governor?" She finally asked as they continued walking.

"Could be. Didn't have a good feelin' 'bout him. He was up ta somethin'." Daryl commented.

"What do we do?"

"I'll think o' somethin'. Let's jus' find a place to stay tonight." He said.

They came upon a gated housing development and she paused momentarily. He watched her face wrinkle as she studied the area. Finally she looked over at him.

"Let's stay here." She said.

Daryl shrugged. "Alright." He said.

They walked inside the partially open gate and Daryl shut it behind them. There were a few walkers in the middle of the street and together they took them out quickly. The houses were not big, they were more of a townhouse than a regular house and he figured it would be alright to stay there for the night. After clearing the small area of the walkers that they could see, she walked up to the first house and opened the door while Daryl stood ready with his bow. She followed behind him as they checked from room to room. The bottom floor was empty and they made eye contact and started up the stairs. Daryl eased along the balcony around the second floor and pointed to a room where they could hear movement. She nodded and pushed the door open. There were three walkers huddled inside and they were feasting on a squirrel that must have come in through the open window.

Daryl sent arrows flying into two of them while Beth pounced on the third and sent her knife through the back of the head into the brain. Blood and guts shot out of the head and she grimaced at the smell in the room. They exited the room after closing the window and shut the door behind them. The next three rooms were empty and Daryl began to head back downstairs with Beth following close behind him.

...

The house had held more than they thought. There were bottles of wine in the kitchen along with various canned items they could eat. Daryl had left out the back to clean the rabbit and make a fire so he could cook it. She opened up a bottle of wine and tasted it curiously. She had never had wine except for one time and that had been on Maggie's twenty-first birthday. Maggie had slipped her some when their daddy hadn't been looking. Beth hadn't thought it tasted that great and tasting it now, she realized it still didn't. However, their options were limited so she forced herself to drink it while she rummaged around in the kitchen for plates and utensils to eat with.

She noticed that the more she drank it, the better it began to taste and after a bit, she didn't even taste it at all. She was down half of a bottle by the time Daryl came back in with the rabbit. He was sweating and he set the plate he had used on the bar and eyed the bottle of wine. She saw his gaze flick from her to the bottle and back again and he raised a brow at her.

"Ya drinkin' now?" He asked.

Beth nodded. "Yep."

Daryl set a bucket of clean water on the counter and she hummed to herself as she scrubbed her hands and face clean. She dried her hands on a towel and arranged the meat on their plates. She opened one of the cans of vegetables and sniffed. It didn't smell and still looked okay so she added that to their plates as well. Finally done, she stepped back to survey her work. She went to take another sip of wine and saw that she had drained the bottle. She didn't remember drinking that much of it and she frowned in confusion.

Her eyes narrowed on Daryl who had started tearing into his food. "Did you drink some of my wine?" She asked.

Daryl paused between bites. "Poured it in the sink when ya wasn't lookin' jus' now. Ya had enough." He said.

She felt her temper rising as she watched him eat. She had more than proved herself over and over as capable of handling situations now. She wasn't going to be told when she had had enough. She would be the judge of that. Grabbing another bottle off the counter she glared at him as she popped the top. Giving him a look of defiance, she raised the bottle to her lips.

He set his almost empty plate on the counter and swiped the bottle from her hands.

"Give that back!" She yelled.

"Ya playin' house now? What tha hell is up with tha drinkin' and the fancy way ya set the plates?" He said.

"I'm just having some fun Daryl. Lighten up." She muttered.

She made a grab for the bottle back but he held it up out of reach. They fumbled for a few minutes before the bottle went crashing to the floor. Chests heaving, they stared at each other and then she grabbed him and began kissing him with all of her pent up frustration. He groaned and backed her to the wall roughly where he pressed his hips against her. She shivered at the feel of him pressing against her through their clothes. They grinded against each other for a few minutes before coming up for air. He stared at her before walking away from her. She watched as he lit a cigarette.

"That's it?" She scoffed.

His eyes flicked to her. "One of us needs ta keep a level head 'round here. I guess that's gon' have ta be me since yer drunk." He said angrily.

"You can't just kiss me and expect me to be okay with that! You're an ass!" She yelled.

His eyes momentarily widened as she fled the room.

...

Daryl took a long drag off of his cigarette. He knew he was walking a fine line here. The more time they spent together lately, the more his mind wandered to what it would be like to be with her sexually. There was nothing stopping Daryl but himself. No one was around to question his reasons for a relationship with a girl her age but he still hesitated. He knew she wanted it and the sexual tension between them was high. He didn't want her drunk though, that much he knew. He wanted her fully alert of everything that they did together.

Running into that man today and seeing his leering looks at Beth had made Daryl angry. He had realized how much her company had come to mean to him lately. He didn't want to lose her and he wouldn't tolerate her being hurt. They had talked about what they would do in the event that they did run into someone. If the person seemed harmless, they would each go about their own way. If not, they had no choice but to react. They weren't taking in anyone to their group unless it was one of their own. They both understood the need to stay discreet, and that could only be accomplished by being on their own.

He finished his cigarette and went in search of Beth. He found her curled up on one of the couches, staring out of the window. He stood there for a few minutes and tried to think of something to say but his mind drew a blank. He slowly turned and walked off to wander the house.

...

"I don't know a_nything_. I told you that already."

The Governor smiled and signaled his man to come forward. They cracked a whip and it tore into the person's back but the person didn't flinch as they had so many other times. This made the Governor angry and he backhanded the person hard across the face.

"You haven't told me everything. But you will." The Governor replied.

With that being said, he slammed the door shut and the person was once again left in the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

****AN: I know it's short and for that I apologize. I had a whole long chapter for you but the muse was working against me tonight and I just didn't think it was up to par. So I'm going to stew on it a bit before posting. Hopefully I will get you all more out tomorrow. I thought I would visit our beloved Governor again because I know how much you all like knowing what he's up to. ;) As always, I thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoy! Review if you feel the need, I do love them so! **

**...**

She gagged as the hands groped her breasts under her dingy shirt. The man leered at her and she noticed the big gap between his teeth. He smelled like sweat and he looked like he hadn't had a bath since the apocalypse started.

She tried to buck away from him but she could only move so far being chained. The man had been eyeing her all evening and as soon as the others had left the area, she had known he would take his chance.

Not that any of _them_ would have stopped him. No, they probably would have stood there and watched the show. They enjoyed it when she fought and she had tried to fight less when they groped her. She hadn't been raped and she supposed she should be grateful for the small things but she wasn't. She was repulsed and she was tired. She really wanted this man to leave her alone.

The man's mouth closed over her nipple and she bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. She couldn't take it anymore and she screamed. Immediately, some of the other men came running. One of them stuffed a rag into her mouth and another one popped the offending man on the back of the head.

"You heard the Governor! He said he has plans for her later. We can't very well have her attracting every damn biter in the neighborhood now can we Billy?"

Billy turned to her again and walked up by her ear. She closed her eyes. "It's okay baby, I'll be back by later when the Governor has had his fill." He stroked her cheek with his grimey finger and left the room. She shivered.

The others followed him out. Except for one. The man they called Martinez stayed behind until the others were gone. She hadn't had many dealings directly with him. She knew he was one of the Governor's favorites but he hadn't laid a hand on her like the others. Sometimes she would catch him looking around like he wanted to be anywhere but there and then his expression would go back to the hard mask that many of them wore. He walked over to her and she grew frightened that maybe he had just been biding his time until now to make his move. She squirmed.

"Hey, easy, easy!" He whispered. He glanced around behind him again. "If I take this gag out, you gonna be quiet?"

She eyed him warily but nodded. He reached for the gag and she tensed but he held up his hands quickly to show he meant no harm. He reached over and tugged on the gag until it fell out into his hand. He turned on his heel and began to leave the room.

She struggled to find her voice. "Why did you do that?"

He paused but didn't turn. He seemed to be fighting something and she wished she could see his expression.

"The Governor will be here shortly. He wants to talk to you again. I suggest you think of the answers he is seeking." He said softly before walking out.

...

The splash of the cold water startled her awake. She gasped and sputtered and saw through blurry eyes the Governor standing before her. He set the bucket to the side and sat in a chair that had been placed before her. He regarded her intently. She stared back at him, trying not to shiver violently from the chills that wracked her body. The torture had been coming less frequent lately until the earlier episode had happened. She was still chained to a wall by her arms and legs and although she _could_ move, it didn't allow for much movement other than a few inches.

The Governor tapped his index fingers together and seemed to look through her for a few moments.

"Where are they?" He asked. His tone was neutral, as if he were having an ordinary conversation but she knew not to trust it.

She swallowed. "I. Don't. Know." She croaked.

Anger flickered across his expression briefly. Suddenly, he stood up so fast it sent his chair reeling over backwards. He crossed to her and stuck his finger in a gash on her leg. She sobbed and tried to hold back a scream. She had learned that screaming only got you more attention because they didn't want to attract walkers.

"You're lying!" He yelled. "They killed one of my men!"

She tried to think but her vision was becoming blurred by the pain of his fingers twisting into her wound. She desperately wished she would pass out so that she would have temporary relief.

"I said I don't know!" She yelled. Her voice was thick and hoarse. Hot tears streaked across her dirty face.

"You little bitch! You will tell me or I will kill them." He ground out. He signaled to one of his men.

As she watched, the men dragged in a person that was bound with rope and had a bag over their head. She could see them twitch and moan and she felt her pulse beat rapidly. The Governor watched her reaction with a smile. He snapped his fingers at the men without taking his eyes from her and they lifted the bag from the person's head.

She recognized one of their group and she immediately started weeping again. They were hardly recognizable. She knew that whatever had been done to her, had been done to them ten times worse. They locked frightened, wide, eyes with each other and it went unspoken between them that they remain strong.

"Ah, I see I've finally gotten your attention. Let's try this again. Tell me or I kill them where they stand." He gave her a cold smile.

"Now what's it going to be?"


	9. Chapter 9

****AN: Sorry there was a bit of a delay in getting this chapter out everyone! I've been a little busy lately and I've been dying to get back to this. It takes more time to prepare than the others as I have to be in a completely different mindset to write it. We'll be back with our beloved pair for a bit as they struggle against their raging desire for one another. Hope you enjoy! Please review. :)**

Beth yawned and rolled over. She rolled right over into a _hard, male,_ body. She cracked open one eye, startled. She was on the floor with _Daryl_. He was sprawled out in his usual fashion, fully clothed. He was also fully_ aroused, _judging from the pitch of the blanket. She took the moment to study him. He wasn't so intimidating in his sleep, with his features relaxed and his body sprawled out. He almost looked peaceful even. She wondered how she had ended up on the floor. She didn't remember having a nightmare. She tried to think back and all that she remembered was being mad at Daryl because he had kissed her and didn't do more.

She couldn't help herself from being so attracted to him lately. It was hard not to when they were always around each other. She let her eyes roam over his muscled arms appreciatively. She wondered if he even found her attractive since they were together all the time and they hadn't done more except kiss. Well, except that _one_ time. They never talked about that. She had been so embarassed to have him down there in her most private of areas but he had taken her to new pleasures and she yearned to feel that again. She was sure that was the first orgasm she had ever had and now she realized fully what she had been missing out on. She knew he wouldn't go for it though. He always pushed himself away from her.

She pushed the blanket away and was promptly greeted with a burst of cool air. It had gotten cooler since yesterday and she knew that meant that colder weather wasn't too far away.

"Where ya think ya goin'?" Daryl asked.

She gasped and turned to him. He was staring at her and she suddenly wondered how long he had been awake.

"I don't know how I got over here. I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"I s'pose ya got over here much tha way anyone else would." He said sarcastically.

She cracked a smile despite herself. "Nice observation _Doctor_ Dixon." She teased.

He chuckled. The sight of Daryl so relaxed and smiling made her want him that much more. She rolled back over to him.

"Maybe you're so warm I couldn't help myself." She flirted.

Daryl raised a brow. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

Daryl scratched his head and stretched. She watched his shirt rise slightly to reveal his flat stomach. She noticed the trail of dark hair there that led down to his pants.

"Like what ya see?" He asked suddenly.

She blushed and averted her gaze. "Sorry. I don't mean to keep pushing when you obviously aren't attracted to me."

Daryl frowned. "What tha hell gave ya that idea? I never said nothin' like that."

"You always seem to run away when things get interesting." She said.

Daryl sat up. He grabbed her by the waist and jerked her closer to him. "I _run_ away to protect _you_ from _me_." He said.

"I don't understand." She said.

"Now is not tha time to discuss this. Let's jus say that ya need more than I can give ya." He muttered.

She sighed her frustration and turned away. He grabbed her chin and pulled her face back to him. She drew in a breath as he tilted her head and planted a hot kiss on her lips. She mewled softly and he thrust his tongue into her mouth. They kissed for several minutes before he once again pulled away.

He stood up and crossed the room. She felt empty now and she wondered why he wouldn't just keep going. She was tired of the back and forth. She stood up and clearly intended to give him a piece of her mind when she noticed the tense way he was staring out of the window.

"What''s out there?" She asked warily.

...

Daryl was frustrated with himself. He couldn't seem to stay away from her but he couldn't seem to do more than kiss her. Except for that one time and that was the time that intruded on his thoughts and dreams. He _wanted _to keep going but he was scared of where that might take them. It was getting harder and harder to maintain control. He was already tense with need. He dreamed about doing all sorts of things to her.

He crossed to the window and peered out to check the weather. His whole body tensed as he saw the multitude of walkers milling about. _Where tha hell had they come from?_ He rubbed his eyes once and peered again. They were still there. _Must be a breach in tha fence._

"What's out there?" Beth asked from behind him.

He didn't turn but he did respond. "Walkers. Whole shitload of 'em." He muttered.

Beth gasped. "What?" She crossed over to stand next to him and looked out. She studied the area for a few moments before straightening. "That's a lot of walkers."

Daryl nodded. "Damn. Guess we stuck 'ere for a bit. Maybe they'll wander out the same way they wandered in."

"I hope so." Beth whispered.

Daryl lit a cigarette and put his boots on. He liked to be ready to go at any moment. Sometimes, he didn't even sleep with his boots off; it just depended on his mood at the time. He walked into the kitchen and swiped a can off of the counter. He didn't read the label and opened the can, lost in thought. Tossing the lid behind him, he finally looked at the contents: peaches. He shrugged and grabbed a fork to start digging in. Fruit was almost the same as junk food now that junk food wasn't as available anymore.

Beth walked in as he was finishing off the can and surveyed the left over food. She selected another can of something that he couldn't see the name of and sat down on a stool across from him.

"So what do we do if they don't go away?" She asked.

He watched as she popped the top and sniffed the contents before beginning to eat. "I s'pose we might have ta try a distraction o' sorts. We'll give it a bit, see how it plays out." He said.

She nodded. "And when we leave here, then what?"

As much as he liked Beth, sometimes she drove him insane with chit-chat. He felt a lot of pressure to have the answers she was seeking but he just didn't _know._ He didn't know what to expect of anything anymore. As the days kept ticking by, the odds of finding the Governor grew slimmer and slimmer. If only they could find some sort of _clue_ as to his location, then he would have a starting point. Now, it just seemed as if they spent each day meandering around in circles without much more purpose than finding food and a safe place to sleep.

"Why ya gotta ask so many damn questions?" He grumbled.

She paused in eating and looked at him. "Am I bothering you? Because I can leave." She said.

Daryl felt his anger rising. "I don't have all tha answers! I'm not some damn _hero_ like you seem ta think I am!" His voice rose.

Beth narrowed her eyes and stood up to glare at him. "I never said you were a hero Daryl!"

"Yeah? Well ya keep pushin' me! "

Beth crossed over to stand directly in front of him. He would have been amused if he hadn't been so irritated. She wasn't very fierce looking but she more than made up for it with her determination.

"You made me leave! We should have stayed and fought! Maybe we could have saved them! Maybe-" Her voice caught and he saw the tears spill down her cheeks.

Immediately his gut clenched like she had punched him in the stomach. It wasn't a reaction he would have expected. "You blame me fer that?" His voice was low, accusing, and slightly hurt.

Beth swiped at her eyes angrily. "I don't know! Maybe we might not be in this predicament if we would have stayed and tried to kill the Governor." She said tearfully.

Daryl drew in a deep breath before speaking so low she had to struggle to hear him. "Ya saw how many people there was with him. Ya saw our people get wounded. Ya heard the shots and the explosions. You. Tell. Me." He said through clenched teeth. He gave her a long look and strode out of the room.

He had to get away from her for a few moments. He wouldn't admit to himself how much it hurt to see her cry. He wouldn't admit either how much it hurt to know that she did place some blame on him. He had done the best he could. _He had saved them both, hadn't he?_ She had been the closest one to him. There had been no time to grab any of the others and even _they_ might not have made it if he hadn't have had the foresight to slip through the fence.

He lit another cigarette and walked towards the back of the house. The nicotine swirled in his lungs and began working to calm his upset nerves.

...

Beth felt sick. She hadn't meant for that argument to get so out of control. She didn't even know where that accusation had come from. _Did she really blame Daryl?_ She clenched her stomach as the pasta she had eaten threatened to come back up. She dabbed at her wet eyes with a towel and leaned against the counter. Daryl had never been so angry at her that he had walked out like that. She wouldn't forget the way his eyes had bored into hers as he had said what he did. She had seen the brief flash of hurt in his eyes at her accusation and it tugged at her deep inside.

She swallowed deeply. It was so hard now. Everything was awkward between them. She didn't know what to think. One minute they were fighting a raging passion, and the next they were fighting each other. She rubbed her temples as she felt the rise of a powerful headache. She needed to explain to him that she hadn't meant it. She had said those words out of anger. It wasn't Daryl's fault about what had happened to the others. He couldn't have ever predicted any of this.

They needed to find the others if they were still alive. They needed something to strive for, some flicker of hope to let them know that they weren't just shooting in the dark, hoping to hit a target. She wondered how people did this every day. _How did they travel alone or as a pair? _They had been so spoiled at this point with having a steady location for the most part and now it had been yanked out from under them. Everything they had worked so hard to build up and maintain, gone in less than an hour. She sighed.

Maybe Daryl was right. Maybe she did see him as a hero and that's why she relied on him so much. He had always been the one to pull through for their group, always the one to save the day. She realized now that she expected him to find the others, to save the day again and that might not happen. How naive she had been. She had placed the blame on him to keep from realizing that she was just as much to blame. She had run from the prison too.

She, too, had left the others behind to die.


	10. Chapter 10

Beth gathered up the remaining food from the counter and put it into a sack for later. She figured she would give Daryl some time to himself and then she would go talk to him and apologize. She hadn't meant to accuse him like that; it had just spewed out before she could stop it. She felt really bad about it because she knew she couldn't blame him. She probably would have died without him.

She had just set the bag on the counter when she heard the noises. She went to the window and peeked out of the curtain. The walkers had gathered close to the house and were now trying to figure out a way inside. She shut the curtain as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Her fingers fumbled in her jeans for her knife and she stroked it soothingly. Their shouting from earlier must have attracted the walkers.

She needed to find Daryl. She slipped out of the kitchen and turned to go down the hallway where she almost ran right into him.

"Walkers. They're everywhere around the house. They're trying to get in." She whispered.

Daryl nodded. "I saw." He said quietly.

He brushed past her and went to the window up front to peek out. The walkers were shuffling around on the porch of the house and every few minutes the knob on the front door would turn slowly back and forth. Beth watched Daryl to see what he thought they should do. He scratched his head and turned to pace the floor for a few moments. She could see from his expression that he was thinking of a solution so she waited.

He stopped pacing a few minutes later. "That car parked over there," He went to the window and pointed to a fancy car parked a few houses down. "I bet it has an alarm. I'm gonna shoot it from tha upstairs window and hopefully it will draw them bastards over. I need ya to run to tha gate when I tell ya and wait for me." He said.

She watched him pull the gun from his pocket that they had taken from that creepy guy in the forest. He checked to make sure it was loaded and ready.

"Daryl? I'm not sure about this plan." Beth touched his arm.

He twitched slightly. "I'll be right behind ya. I need ya to open the gate while I cover ya. Wait fer my signal. Understand?" He asked.

Beth nodded but she still didn't feel right about it. _Why couldn't they just go together?_

He disappeared up the stairs and she waited by the back door so she could sneak around when he signaled. The minutes passed by agonizingly slow until she finally heard the loud crack of the gun. Only nothing happened. She waited and a few minutes later, he fired again. They were rewarded with the sound of a car alarm going off. She waited and a few minutes later, he whistled softly from upstairs. She took a deep breath and darted outside, knife clutched in her hand.

….

The first shot Daryl sent didn't do anything and he cursed. Guns weren't his area of expertise but he thought himself a fairly decent shot all the same. He squinted and fired again and this time he was gifted with the loud sound of the alarm. He watched as the walkers began to slowly change course and turn toward the source of the noise. It was a risky move setting off the alarm. If there were human travelers nearby, they could be alerted as well as other walkers or even a herd. He waited a few moments to make sure that the walkers were headed away before he whistled softly down to Beth. He waited from his perch with bated breath until she came into view. She was able to dodge a few stragglers for the most part, but some she had to take down with her knife. He had never been as glad as he was at that moment that she had learned to fight them off. He was still a little upset over their argument but they had no time to worry about that now. Safety was top priority.

He saw her open the gate safely and he took that as his cue that it was time to go. He ran down the stairs two at a time and headed for the back. As he opened the door, he heard her scream from somewhere outside the gate and his heart pounded. He smashed his knife into a nearby walker's skull and pulled it out without even looking back to see if he had killed it. He raced towards the gate that was now hanging open. He peered around but he didn't see her and he pushed a walker that had staggered too close away from the gate so that he could shut it.

He frantically scanned the area before he heard Beth's yell again. He turned to his right as he saw a flash of movement in the woods. Not knowing what to expect, he took off after it. His thoughts raced with visions of her bit, or worse, dead.

…..

Beth opened the gate and fended off a couple of walkers as she waited for Daryl to make it down to her. She kept glancing around nervously. Something felt off but she didn't quite know what. She jammed her knife into the head of another walker and it crumbled to the ground easily. She wiped her hair from her face and continued to wait.

Strong arms encircled her waist and she screamed before a hand clamped down hard over her mouth. She could smell the scent of sweat and blood. She forced herself not to gag. She frantically scanned for Daryl and hoped that he had heard her scream.

"You better keep your mouth shut little lady before I have to cut out your tongue." The man's voice whispered against her ear.

"Hurry up. We need to get out of here. There might be others with her." Another voice said.

She felt herself being dragged backwards towards the woods and she tried to dig her heels into the ground but the man's grip only tightened and she had to struggle to keep pace to prevent from choking herself. The man was very strong and she knew that she would never be able to escape. They stopped at the edge of the woods and the man removed his hand momentarily and she took the opportunity to yell Daryl's name before something heavy slammed into her. She felt her vision blur and then the world went dark.

…..

Daryl had to stop and take out two more walkers before reaching the woods. His blood was pounding in his veins so hard he had to stop momentarily to keep from falling. He scanned the ground and found the prints all shuffled together. He could barely make out three sets and one of those was Beth. He frowned and disappeared into the woods. Could these people be with the Governor? Maybe they were part of another hostile group?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and paused to listen. He could hear the sound of the footsteps not too far ahead and he moved silently along, trying to get a feel for the others. He couldn't very well pop out of nowhere not knowing if they were armed. Knives would be no problem for him to take down but guns were a different matter. He couldn't shoot off an arrow without knowing Beth's exact location. He wouldn't risk her getting in the line of fire.

He heard the murmur of voices and slowed his pace before he saw the outline of a building up ahead. He strayed to the left and came around the other side to get a look. He could make out a small cabin as he moved closer. His eyes came to a rest on the barely noticeable string that was tied around the perimeter of the cabin. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it had bells attached to it. He supposed that it was used as a warning of approaching walkers. He crouched down and saw the men emerge from the woods and come around the side of the cabin. One of the men was carrying Beth who hung limply over his shoulder. He was a bigger man but Daryl noticed it was more fat than muscle. The second man was more lean and he carried a rifle that hung from a strap on his shoulder. He noticed that Beth wasn't moving and his jaw tightened. One of the men knocked three times on the door and a few minutes later it was pulled open and Daryl briefly got a glimpse of a third man inside before the door was shut.

He backed up a few feet and stood. He glanced around for threats of walkers but didn't see any. He knew that this was unlikely to be the Governor. He had had a lot of people and this wasn't his scene. The Governor would have a more elaborate setup than some little backwoods shack in the middle of nowhere. He noticed that the roof was caving in places and there were no windows that he could tell. He suspected that it was just some random group.

_They must have heard the car alarm. Shit._

….

When Beth came to, she realized her head was spinning and she couldn't move her hands or feet. She was slumped in a corner and she cracked her eyelids just enough to see. She saw three men sitting at a rickety table in the center of the room. They appeared to be eating something and the smell that wafted towards her, made her want to vomit. She scanned the rest of the room and saw that it was fairly empty, save for a few pallets on the floor. She noticed a gun hanging from one of the man's chairs but she didn't see any others. Barely shifting her head, she looked for windows but she didn't see any. Her head pounded and her stomach clenched as she fought the nausea that consumed her.

She wondered if Daryl had tracked them. She didn't know how far they had come but apparently Daryl hadn't seen fit to cut the men off on the way here. She briefly wondered if he would come for her after the way their last conversation had went. _Don't be silly, of course he will come for you,_ she chided herself. The men finished their meal and a couple of them lit up cigarettes while the other sharpened his knife. She was terrified that if she showed any sign of being awake then they would pounce.

"Where you find her?" The man who had stayed behind asked.

"A little gated community. That's where the car alarm was going off. Pretty little thing was terrified." One of the other men replied.

"Think she got somebody with her?" The first man asked.

"Hard to say. Them freaks was everywhere so if she does, they might not have made it. Had ta club her because she kept screamin' so she might have been calling for help. Sure be nice ta have some female attention." The biggest of the three said.

"What if she's with a big group?" The first man asked.

"They ain't gonna know where we are. Even so, we'll be ready. They want her back unharmed, they gonna have to do a little negotiatin'." The big man replied.

She could tell from the sound of his voice that he had been the one to grab her. She tried not to panic and focused on appearing as if she was still out of it. When Daryl came for her, he would need her help. She had to figure out a way to get out of these bonds without attracting the attention of the men.

_Please hurry Daryl,_ she prayed.

****AN: Sorry for the delay! It just wasn't my day for getting this out apparently. Anyway, I know some of you were expecting some Beth/Daryl action and it will come soon, I promise! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter! ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

Daryl walked the perimeter of the shack with a determined expression. He was done playing around, he wanted Beth back. _Untouched._ His eyes scanned the shack again but he saw no movement and the fact that there were no windows didn't help at all. His mind raced for ideas, his blood pounding through his veins. He couldn't believe the luck. Of all things they had to fear, it always seemed to be actual humans that they had to fear the most.

His eyes landed upon a walker that was making it's way through the woods. He chewed on his thumb thoughtfully as his mind formulated a plan.

...

Her back, neck, and head hurt. She was stiff from sitting so still that she actually figured she might not be able to move now even if she wanted to. The men were still sitting at the table talking and she was thankful that the attention wasn't on her. They hadn't said anything else of substance, just idle chat that meant nothing to her. She _had _learned that the men must have been traveling for some time and that their group used to have been bigger.

Her nose twitched and she tried to wiggle it slowly so that it wouldn't draw attention. The twitch went away and she relaxed. Then she sneezed.

_Damn it._

The men all turned to look at her now. It was no use trying to pretend sleep anymore, not after that. One of the men got up and crossed over to her. He crouched in front of her with a stupid grin.

"Hey there sweet thing. Everything's gonna be alright. Billy here is gonna take good care of ya." He whispered.

His finger trailed over the top of her t-shirt and she tried not to shudder violently. Instead she focused on giving him her most innocent look. Maybe if she pretended to be completely innocent, they would ease up on the restrictions some. The other men were leering at her from the table and she cringed inwardly. Billy's finger dipped a little lower and she forced herself to give him a sultry smile. His breath caught and he grinned back at her. She tried no to focus on where his finger kept traveling.

"Isn't there somewhere we can be alone? It's been an awfully long time. If you know what I mean." She whispered.

She watched him ponder the thouh for a few minutes. She batted her lashes at him and he stood up quickly. He turned to his friends at the table. She watched them whisper heatedly back and forth for a few minutes but she couldn't make out what they were saying. The other two men finally got up and headed for the door while Billy waited until they were outside before turning back to her.

"Now where were we?" He asked excitedly.

...

Daryl grabbed the walker behind the neck and pinned it to the ground as it thrashed wildly beneath his knees. He took the bolt from his mouth and loaded the bow, not paying the walker any mind. His plan was to lure the men outside and then hopefully distract them with the walker while he took them out with his bow. It was the best he had to work with considering he wasn't entirely sure how many he was up against. He just hoped that it worked as intended.

Suddenly the door to the shack opened and two of the men came ambling out. One of them was the bigger guy that had carted Beth and Daryl figured the other must have been one that had stayed behind. He watched as they lit a cigarette on the steps and talked amongst themselves. The walker kept making growling noises and Daryl thought surely they would hear it but they hadn't made any indication that they had.

"Stupid bastards." Daryl muttered. He had a nasty taste in his mouth and he spit before standing up. He brought the walker up at the same time as he and jammed his bolt in its back. It thrashed as he grabbed the bolt and used it to steer the walker in front of him. He maneuvered it closer to the shack where he had cut the thin rope that they had used for sensors.

The men immediately spotted the walker but they didn't seem to concerned as they watched it for a moment. Daryl matched his movements to the walkers and drew closer to the men. They had drawn their knives and were clearly waiting for the walker to trip over their line and when it didn't they appeared confused. He saw the moment that they realized someone was behind the walker and he rushed the walker forward at one of the men and raised his bow at the other. He shot his bolt out before the man could so much as take a step. It hit him in the neck and he fell to the ground screaming. Daryl scanned for the gun he had seen earlier but it was nowhere to be found. The other man was stabbing at the walker and Daryl rushed around the walker and stuck his knife into the man's gut. The big man clutched his stomach but didn't go down. Daryl yanked his knife out and slashed across the man's neck and the man clutched at his throat in terror. He fell to the ground and Daryl let the walker tear into him as he hid along the side of the shack. His chest was heaving from his exertions and the adrenaline coursing through his body.

...

Billy stood her up as he cut the bonds from her feet and tried to kiss her. She turned her head gently so as not to anger him.

She gestured to her hands. "No. Please, my hands. I want to touch you." She said softly.

Surprisingly, she was able to keep her voice strong. Her hands were shaking violently though and she didn't know how to stop them.

"Alright sweet thing. I guess I can oblige. But no funny business, and you better make it worth my while. We'll take care of me first." He said.

Beth swallowed thickly as he turned her around to get to her hands. He put the knife to her bonds as they heard the yelling outside. He paused and tilted his head toward the door, listening. He turned an angry face back to her.

"Now that wouldn't happen to be your people, now would it?" He asked angrily.

She shook her head dumbly. "I don't have any people." She lied.

He slapped her across her cheek so hard her head was knocked to the side with the force of the blow. She tried to remain calm. She was almost positive that the yelling had to mean that Daryl was out there somewhere but she didn't know what was going on because she couldn't actually see out. It was very frustrating.

Billy pulled her towards the door with him. "Well, we're just gonna take a peek and see what's going on." He muttered and he made her go through the door first.

At first she didn't see anyone and then she heard the crunching of bones and tearing of flesh as she saw a walker eating what was left of the big man. The other guy was lying unmoving on the ground with an arrow in his throat. Blood had oozed everywhere and she was sure the noises and smells would soon attract alert other walkers to their presence.

Billy tightened his grip on her. "Alright! You made your point! I got your woman, now come on out here and I won't feed her to this walker!" Billy yelled.

The walker paused in its feeding and seemed to be considering the possiblity of more food but then it seemed to decide it wasn't worth the trouble and resumed its eating. Beth scanned the woods frantically for some kind of sign of Daryl but she couldn't see him anywhere. She knew he was there though. She could feel him.

"I suggest ya let 'er go 'fore you forced ta join yer friends here." Daryl drawled as he walked from around the house.

Beth saw that he had his bow raised and it was trained on Billy. Billy was careful to stay behind her and she knew that Daryl wouldn't be able to get a clear shot. She felt the steel barrel of the gun as he pressed it into her back then.

"I got a gun on her and I won't hesitate to shoot her!" Billy yelled.

Daryl's eyes met hers and she saw them trail over her, accessing for injuries. His eyes narrowed on her face and she figured she must have a bruise there. He focused quickly back on the man, his face set in anger.

"Wouldn't advise it." Daryl said calmly.

"I ain't scared! I'll do it!" Billy warned.

"Ya ain't scared yet ya hidin' behind a woman. Coulda' fooled me chief." Daryl taunted.

She felt Billy move the gun from her back and stick it to her temple as he moved to stand next to her. "See? I'm not behind her now. You shoot me and I shoot her. Don't be stupid, you want her back alive, don't you?" Billy asked.

Daryl smirked. He started to speak but the walker that had previously been ignoring them struggled to its feet and Billy was temporarily distracted as it came at them both and he made a split decision to thrust Beth forward into the walker's hands. That was all it took for Daryl to take the shot. He let the bolt fly and it hit Billy in the back of the head as he turned to run away.

Beth kicked at the walker with her legs but without her hands, she wasn't doing much. She sighed in relief as Daryl drove his knife through the back of the walkers head and out of his eye in front. He pulled his knife out and went to the other man who he had shot in the throat and knifed him in the head as well. She watched him retrieve his bolts and stick his bow back onto his shoulder.

She went running into his arms before he could cross to her. She saw his look of surprise as she threw herself at him and his arms circled around her awkwardly. Seconds later, he pushed her back gently and cut the bonds from her wrists.

...

Daryl was so relieved that Beth was okay that he wasn't quite sure what to do. Emotions he wasn't quite familiar with were pulsing through him. His gut clenched when she ran to him and he briefly hugged her to him as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

"Daryl, I-" Beth began.

He stopped her with a kiss. His lips seized hers with an intensity that left her breathless. His tongue danced with hers as they kissed with abandon and when he pulled back, he had to reach out a hand to steady her.

"It's over. What's done is done. Let's get out of here ta someplace safe." He said. She nodded. He handed her her knife. She looked down at it startled. "Ya dropped it. I picked it up for ya." He replied to her questioning gaze.

She reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek. He felt himself warm slightly as she followed him into the woods.

He had her back now and he could breathe easier.

****AN: Sorry for the delay! I know everyone was waiting anxiously from last chapter! Anyways, now that that's over, maybe their relationship might be stronger? Only time will tell...Remember, reviews are LOVE. LOL! Thank you all for taking the time to read my stories. I know I say it all the time but I DO appreciate it! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

****AN: Here we go! Warning here: **If smut isn't your thing or if seeing Daryl slightly OOC from the way we know him now makes you uncomfortable, you may want to stop now or skip this chapter!** That being said, I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please review. Thanks!**

**...**

Daryl didn't say much to Beth as they walked through the woods but he did make sure that he stayed close to her side as they walked. He noticed that she didn't say much. Every time he looked at her and saw the bruise on her face he wanted to kill those men all over again. His emotions were running high and he didn't trust himself to speak right now.

They continued on at a steady pace until a walker came staggering from behind a tree. It had been a female and it seemed fairly new due to the fact that it had more energy than some of the others had had. Before Beth could react at all, he rushed up to it with his knife and stabbed it in the chest. He kicked it over with his boot and then proceeded to stab it repeatedly in the head. Anger coursed through him and he felt like he had lots of energy to burn off.

He kept stabbing the walker until it was a mutilated, bloody, mess. Finally he felt Beth's hand on his arm and he cast a glance up at her face and stood. Still remaining quiet, he wiped his knife off and they continued on.

They skirted the edge of the woods before Daryl nodded to proceed. They crossed over a highway where some walkers were lurking about and proceeded down an embankment. They crossed past a small pond but Daryl barely paid it any mind. He moved on autopilot and it wasn't until Beth touched his arm and pointed that he stopped to take in his surroundings.

She was pointing at a dingy motel beside the road that looked as if it had seen better days. He nodded and they crossed into the parking lot warily. They walked past a few doors and Daryl stood next to one and motioned for her to cover. Seeing her nod her consent, he threw open the door and was relieved to find it walker-free. However, the bed was covered in blood and the smell was so bad that he grimaced and quickly shut the door.

They crossed to a room a few doors down and again did the same routine. This time the room was completely clear and Daryl ushered Beth inside. He shut the door and checked the lock. Not completely satisfied with it, he grabbed the small dresser and shoved it in front of the door as well. Beth fixed the curtains to allow in the light of the afternoon without anyone else being able to see in. Daryl kicked his boot against the side of the bed and watched the dust settle into the air.

"Damn dirty ass place." He remarked for the first time.

Beth was quiet as she stood on the other side of the bed and looked at him. "It could be worse I suppose."

He was suddenly uncomfortable with the silence and he looked around the room while clearing his throat. "I'm gon take this trash can down ta that pond and get us some water ta wash off with. Stay here." He ordered.

...

Beth watched him grab the trash can and remove the bag that had been inside. He headed towards the door.

"Be careful." She said softly.

He paused and seemed to be contemplating something and then he strode over to her and yanked her to him roughly. His lips hovered just above hers and his breath tickled her face.

"Don't worry 'bout me. Don't get in no trouble while I'm gone." He said softly and he turned and removed the dresser before exiting the room.

She sighed and sat down on the bed. The room was a typical roadside motel room. Lumpy bed, small table, dresser, old tv, and a bathroom. She crossed over to the bathroom and checked herself in the mirror. There was just enough light coming in through the small frosted window above the tub for her to make out her reflection.

She winced at the bruise that was already coming to surface on her face. Her hair was a tangled mess and there were bits of walker on her in various places. She also had blood on her shirt and next to her ear. She touched her face softly and winced at the sensitivity. Noticing her hands in the mirror, she took a moment to study them. Her nails were dirty and tainted red. She looked like she had seen better days. She wished for a shower now more than ever.

She crossed back into the room and sat down on the bed to wait.

...

She wasn't sure how much time had passed since Daryl had gone but she must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, he was tapping on the door and whispering her name. She jumped up and unlocked the door. He had a bag in each hand and the trashcan sat on the ground between his legs. She grabbed the bags and he grabbed the trashcan to follow her in. She cast one last glance around at the darkening sky as she shut the door and locked it. He pushed the dresser back into position and she looked at the bags.

"I made a stop on tha way back. Manager's office at tha end. Found some food and a kerosene lamp." He handed her one of the bags and he began taking things from the other one.

She saw a few bags of peanuts, sunflower seeds, bottled water, and candy bars. She watched as he pulled out the kerosene lamp. He went over to the window and made sure it was completely covered and he struck his lighter to light the wick. It took a few minutes but then it caught hold and the flame brightened up the room. Daryl adjusted the height of the flame to a lower level so that the light wouldn't be really noticeable to outsiders. She looked through the rest of his bag and found a couple towels and some bars of cheap motel soap.

"You go first. I'll go wash up after you." Beth said.

"Ya sure?" Daryl questioned. She nodded.

He grabbed up the trash can and she watched as he plugged the sink and poured some of the water into it. He stripped off his shirt and dipped one of the towels into the water and began scrubbing vigorously.

She turned away and sat to remove her shoes. She was tired and she wanted nothing more than to rest for a few hours. Daryl walked from the bathroom a few minutes later and she inhaled the clean scent of soap as he walked by to remove his boots. He was still shirtless and she marveled at the sight before crossing into the bathroom herself.

She poured fresh water into the basin and grabbed another towel to clean herself with. She scrubbed her face first, being careful to tread gently around the bruise. She shyly removed her shirt and scrubbed it in the water to hang in the tub to dry. She noticed that Daryl's shirt was also hanging there. She crossed back over to the mirror and wet her hair to finger comb it back into a ponytail. She tilted her head back and ran the towel across her neck and shoulders. She closed her eyes at the luxury of being clean.

...

Daryl watched Beth through heated eyes. He was captivated by the sight of her in her bra running a clean towel over her skin. He felt himself being drawn to her and before he realized his intentions, he was standing mere feet from her. She hadn't noticed him and her head was still tilted back as she ran the cloth over her face and neck again.

He stepped behind her and her head snapped forward. Her eyes met his in the mirror. He placed a kiss on her neck and he felt her shiver. He nipped her flesh lightly and saw her mouth part slightly in the mirror. He held her gaze and ran his hands around her waist to just under her bra. She didn't tear her eyes away from his as he proceeded to run his hands over the smooth skin of her stomach and back up again. He could feel her tremble slightly and he brought his mouth next to her ear.

"This what ya want?" He whispered roughly. "Cause if it ain't ya need ta tell me now."

She closed her eyes briefly before meeting his gaze again. "Yes." She breathed.

Daryl stared at her a moment longer to make sure she was telling him the truth and he spun her around abruptly to put her face gently against the door. He unhooked the clasp of her bra and pushed it down off of her shoulders. He heard her slight intake of breath.

"Anythin' I do you don't like, ya jus' say so, hear me?" He asked softly. She nodded her head mutely. He tipped her head back to see her eyes. "Yes or no?" He asked.

"Yes." She whispered.

He bent to her waist and unzipped her jeans and slid them down her legs so that she was just in her panties. He stared at her for a moment and then led her over to the bed. He stopped her from sitting and turned her so that she faced away from him. He nipped her shoulder again and she moaned softly. He hooked his thumbs into her panties and slid them off of her. He ran his hands around to her breasts and gripped them firmly in his hands. She trembled lightly beneath his touch. He let go of her breasts and ran his hands back to her butt. He gently pushed her forward so that she was bent over the bed.

"Alright?" He asked.

"Yes." She murmured.

He traced the skin around her hips for a few minutes and she wiggled underneath him. He pushed his finger into her core and she gasped and jerked beneath him. He pulled out as she turned around. Her eyes were wide.

...

Beth had never felt anything so amazing in her life. Her face burned with embarassment and pleasure as Daryl continued his assault on her body. Then he stuck his finger into her again and she gasped. She whipped around. Even though he had done that to her once before, it was still new to her and she didn't want to be facing away from him if he did it again.

He regarded her intently as she debated what to do. His hands were hanging by his side and he didn't make another move to touch her. She stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his. His hands gripped her slightly damp hair and he deepened the kiss. He followed her down to the bed and his mouth descended upon her nipple and he sucked, _hard._ She wasn't sure what to do with her hands or even _if_ she should be doing anything, but she placed them on his shoulders as he continued to suckle her. His hand traveled down her stomach as he ran his tongue over her nipple. He dipped his finger inside of her again and she cried out from the sensation. He circled and stroked her lazily and she trembled with the desire that gripped her.

His mouth left her moments later and he stood up and dropped to his knees. He grabbed her hips and drug her to the edge of the bed. She wasn't sure what to expect until she felt his mouth on her. Shocked, she leaned up onto her elbows.

"Daryl." She whispered hoarsely.

He didn't respond except to suckle her firmly with his mouth. Her eyes fluttered and she fell back onto the bed. She was torn between wanting to stop and _needing_ to continue. She had never been this intimate with anyone before. The sensations began to vibrate within her and before she knew it, she was bucking underneath his mouth as she found her release.

Moments later as she lay spent across the bed she felt him stand. She heard him move across the room and he came back to her holding something in his hand. At her questioning look he held up a package.

"Found these in tha office down there." She recognized the shiny foil of a condom and she swallowed hard as he dropped his pants.

His erection sprung out, hard and wet. Her eyes grew wide as she watched him roll the condom on. When he climbed onto the bed she stiffened.

"It will hurt!" She whispered.

"Probably a little, then I think it goes away. I mean, I ain't never been with a virgin 'fore. If you want ta stop though, say tha word." He stared at her and waited.

She looked into his eyes and saw the face of a man that she now realized she had fallen in love with. She wanted to do anything and be anything for him. She touched his face lightly and he tensed but didn't break eye contact.

"Okay." She said.

His eyes flickered and he kissed her again while slowly easing himself inside of her bit by bit. She felt her body expanding as she took him in. It felt tight and a little uncomfortable, but strangely, it felt _good._ He moved his hips slowly and then he pushed all the way in and she bit back a wince at the discomfort. He paused and looked at her face. She bit her lip and nodded for him to continue. He pulled out and thrust forward. She gasped at the intimacy of having him inside her. The discomfort began to fade and she found herself lifting her hips to meet his. Soon she began to feel the familiar build of desire and then she was shattering around him, her body vibrating as the orgasm rolled through her. She heard Daryl groan loudly and then he thrust into her once more and stiffened.

She watched his face in fascination. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were closed. Seconds later, he withdrew from her and crossed to the bathroom. He returned a few minutes later with a damp towel.

"What are you doing?" She asked dazedly.

"Cleanin' ya up. Yer bleedin'." He remarked softly.

She had forgotten about that. She remembered how everyone had told her that a woman usually bled a little her first time so she wasn't panicked. She was however, a little embarassed to have Daryl cleaning her down _there._ He finished and tossed the towel out and pulled on his pants. He slipped his vest on over his chest and lay down on the bed. She stood and gathered her bra and panties. Her shirt was still damp and she didn't want to wear just her jeans so she wore just her bra and panties. His eyes followed her as she crossed back to the bed and climbed under the covers.

"Wanna tell me what ya thinkin'? A man's ego can get kinda bruised wanderin' if he was good enough or not." He said carefully.

She turned to look at him. "I don't really have anything to compare it to but it was amazing." She smiled at him. "I'm just in shock."

"I thought I lost ya." Daryl said through clenched teeth.

She leaned up on one elbow. "But you didn't. You saved me like always. You _are_ a hero Daryl, whether you realize it or not."

Daryl didn't reply and instead he rolled over and minutes later, she heard his soft breathing. She was left feeling alone even though he was mere inches from her.


	13. Chapter 13

****AN: It's a short one, and I apologize for that. I'm hoping to write a chapter for another of my fics tonight too.**

Daryl woke to a warm, soft, female body draped across him. Her hair was tickling his nose and he gently pushed it aside. She sighed and shifted positions on him without waking. He was treated to a view of her perky little breasts that were nestled in her bra and he groaned silently. They really needed to get a move on this morning and try to get to a safer location with more resources, but he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her.

His stomach grumbled at the thought of food and he knew he needed to get up. He eased out from under Beth carefully, so that he didn't awaken her. He crossed over to the bag and grabbed a bag of peanuts and a Snickers bar. The kerosene lamp had burned out sometimes in the night, having run out of kerosene to fuel it. He poured the bag of nuts down his throat and relished the salty taste. He swiped a bottle of water up and downed half in one gulp. Unwrapping the Snickers, he had just prepared to take a bite when Beth sat up in the bed.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily and then she focused on him standing there. "Hey." She said.

He merely nodded and took a bite of the candy bar. He really didn't know what to say to her. He knew that she had been expecting more from him last night but he didn't know that he could give it to her. He had warned her that he wasn't a romantic and he wasn't into being cuddly. It hurt him deep down that she was disappointed. He shook off the thought and finished his candy while she went to the bathroom.

A few minutes later she came out fully dressed and with her hair fixed into a ponytail. She crossed over to the bag and selected sunflower seeds and a Reese's. He watched her as he leaned against the dresser, finishing his water. She ate the Reese's first and she moaned as she bit into the chocolate. She started to lick her fingers afterwards and his hand shot up to grip her wrist. With his eyes on hers, he slowly brought her fingers to his mouth and licked the chocolate off of each one. Her eyes closed halfway, but never broke contact with his. Her breathing deepened as he cleaned the last bit off with his tongue.

"I know I ain't what ya thought, and I know ya disappointed. But this is the way it is, take it or leave it." He said softly.

She studied him a moment, her wrist still trapped by his hand. "I'll take it." She finally whispered.

Daryl nodded and let go of her wrist. She absentmindedly rubbed it and he tried not to notice. "Be ready ta leave in a few. I'm gonna go take a piss."

...

Beth rubbed her wrist thoughtfully. Her fingers tingled from where his mouth had been only seconds ago. She supposed that what he said had been his way of apologizing for turning away from her. She knew it took a lot for him to admit anything and she was thankful that he had taken the time to explain himself somewhat. He seemed so broken sometimes, and it hurt her heart. She hoped that with time, he could love her the way that she realized she loved him.

She grabbed the little bit of food that was left and drank a bottle of water while she waited. She noticed that there was one condom left and she glanced around before quickly stuffing it into her pocket. Daryl exited the bathroom moments later, fully dressed and ready to go. He did a quick sweep of the room and if he noticed the condom missing, he said nothing.

He moved the dresser out of the way and they opened the door to step out. They had to take their time and clear out a few walkers that had wandered into the area before they proceeded. The sun was making it's climb up high into the sky and the day was slightly warm. They walked in silence for a bit before she finally spoke.

"So, what happened last night, it's not going to make things weird between us, right?" Beth asked carefully.

Daryl shielded his eyes from the sun and looked at her. He stopped in the middle of the road and she followed suit. "I don't want it to. I mean, I'd like ta do it again." He said gruffly.

She smiled. "Me too." She impulsively leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

His cheeks turned a faint pinkish color. "Good." He nodded.

He turned on his boot and raised his bow to take out a walker. The walker hadn't been close at all and she wondered if he had just done it to avoid further conversation. He snatched his bolt out of the head as they walked by and put it with the others.

After some time, they walked into a town and what appeared to be the main street. They slowed down briefly so that they could keep their eyes peeled for activity. Towns were usually hoarding places for walkers, and potentially for people too. Trash scattered the sidewalks in various places and cars sat abandoned on the side of the street. Some still had there doors open or were covered in blood.

"I'm getting kind of hungry. What about you?" Beth asked.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah, I could eat."

He crossed to the sidewalk and glanced at some of the store signs. Antique stores, loan offices, banks, and boutiques lined the street. Finally he came to a stop at a small diner and she read the sign as he peered in the windows.

"Georgina's Place." She murmured to herself.

Daryl pushed open the door and they slowly entered the diner. There were a few corpses at a table in the back and Daryl crossed over to them to make sure they were dead. The place had a distinct dead smell that she realized had become a normal odor to them. As she looked around for possible food, a walker rose from behind the counter. She walked over to it before Daryl and slashed her knife into its skull. It crumpled to the floor and all was quiet. She scanned the area behind the counter for more and was relieved to find it empty.

"I'll check back 'ere." Daryl said and nodded to the back.

"Alright. I'll be right behind you in a minute." Beth responded.

She rummaged behind the counters as he went through the swinging kitchen door. She found nothing of any use to them and she sighed in frustration. She was just turning to go check on Daryl when she heard him yell for her.

"Hey! Might wanna come back 'ere!" Daryl yelled from the back.

She took off at a run with her heart pounding inside her chest. She burst through the doors expecting to see him needing back up, but he was standing alone by the back door. He was holding something in his hands and as he turned to her, she gasped. There was no mistaking who it belonged to.

Daryl was holding the sheriff's hat that Carl always wore. Her wide eyes met Daryl's confused ones. She reached out to take the hat just as the door opened behind Daryl.

****AN: Gotta _love_ those cliffhangers! Please review. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

****AN: I really apologize for the cliffhanger last time! I'm not quite ready to venture back to Beth and Daryl right at the moment, so in this chapter we are visiting our prisoner. **

**...**

They had really done a number on her this time.

Her left eye wouldn't even open now and she feared the worst. It throbbed painfully, making her head hurt as well. There were aches everywhere, too many to count. They were what kept her alive, kept her hanging on when she really just wanted to die. She hadn't told him anything. She didn't _know_ anything and she couldn't figure out why he thought she did. She had thought he would kill her and it felt like he almost had. She wanted to cry. She wanted to jerk free from these bonds and kill them all. Animals, that's what they were. She tried to swallow around her swollen tongue but it was difficult. She remembered being knocked in the face so hard that she had almost certainly bit her tongue in half.

She had been absolutely terrified when they had brought in the member of her group. She hadn't known they were here and she constantly worried that if they weren't bothering her, they must be bothering them. She wondered if they had gotten the same treatment as her and she prayed they had not.

The door opened and light spilled into the darkness of the room. She flinched. She had been in the darkness so long now that the light hurt the one eye that she could still see from. She heard soft booted footsteps and then a flashlight clicked on. She could see Martinez illuminated in the beam of light. She whimpered. _Oh God, not again!_

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. Wow, they really did a number on you, huh?" He shined the light near her features and she grimaced and tried to shrink away.

Martinez had been briefly in and out of the room the last time the Governor had come in. She remembered seeing him but he hadn't been one of the ones to hit her. So far, he had been the only one that had been moderately nice to her, believe it or not. That still didn't mean she trusted him. She didn't trust any of them.

He set the light on the floor and rummaged through his pockets for a minute. She heard the rip of foil and her breathing quickened. _No, no, he wouldn't rape her. Please, God._ She whimpered again and he glanced over at her. He brought the light to where it shone at an angle so that he could see her face without blinding her. She tensed when he lifted his hand and then she saw that he was holding a piece of cloth of some sort. She stared at him questioningly.

"It's an alcohol wipe. Listen, if you promise not to yell or anything, I'm going to try and clean you up a bit. Okay?" He asked softly.

She searched his features for indications of malice or deceit but found none. She took a breath as deep as her ribs would allow and she finally nodded. It wasn't like she had much choice in the matter anyway.

He frowned in concentration as he carefully dabbed at her many cuts and bruises. She hissed in a breath at a particularly sensitive one and he glanced at her apologetically. He used that one as much as he could and then stuffed it back into his pocket. She watched his movements carefully. She didn't know why he was helping her. Surely, he must be just prepping her for another round. She wasn't sure she could go another round like the last one. He pulled two pills out of his pocket. She looked at him in alarm as he raised them to her mouth.

"Easy. It's something for the pain. I had to go through a lot to steal these because we have a very limited supply. I can see that you need it. The other is an antibiotic that should help with any infection you might have."

She shook her head. She wasn't sure she could swallow them with her tongue and her parched throat. She tried to speak. "Can't wallow." She rasped. She knew it came out funny, but she hoped he would understand.

He shined the light towards her mouth and she opened it slightly. He grimaced as he looked inside and she knew it must be bad.

"Jesus, lady. Your tongue is split pretty good. Alright, I'll try to crush them. I've got water in my back pocket. You think you can take it then?" He asked.

"Try." She whispered.

He must have understood that because he worked at the pills until he had them crushed up pretty well and she opened her mouth dutifully. He placed the crushed pills on her tongue and brought the bottle of water to her lips. The taste of the water felt like heaven to her parched throat and although most of it just dribbled out of her mouth, she was able to get a decent amount without it coming back up. She hoped that the pills would work soon.

"Why?" Her voice wasn't quite as raspy but it still sounded raw.

He looked at her for a minute as if he were trying to figure out what she meant and then he sighed. "I don't know honestly. I guess I'm just tired of the killing, ya know? Hell, I was a respectable man before all of this. I had a momma once too, ya know? I had a family. Now, I just have nothing. Your people, they seem good. You think they will come for you?"

He pulled out more gauze and kneeled to tend to her other wounds. She ignored the stings and tried to focus on his words. "I dunno. Dunno if alive." She felt like a toddler trying to say their first words as she stumbled through speaking. Every word was an effort.

"Well somebody has to be. At least the Governor thinks so anyway. _Somebody_ took out Billy. Can't say as I'm sorry he's gone either. He was a sorry excuse for a man. Had a thing for the girls." He said.

The throbbing in her head was slowing down to a dull ache and she found herself relaxing slightly. _Maybe he really didn't mean any harm. Maybe he could help her escape._

"My frien, " She slurred. "Are dey okay?"

He paused and slowly stood back up. She noticed that his face was carefully blank and he almost looked regretful. He looked down and then finally back up to her. He slowly shook his head. She tilted her head at him, not quite sure that she understood. _How bad were they hurt? _

Martinez cleared his throat softly. "They, uh, didn't make it."

That statement hit her like a ton of bricks. All of it was quickly becoming too real. Fresh tears she didn't know she could still produce welled in her eyes and she felt them fall from her one good eye even though the other still remained firmly shut. Martinez wiped gently at the tears as best he could.

"Shh… No one knows I'm doing this. If they catch me tending to you, I'll die. I'm sorry about your friend. You need not worry though, the Governor needs one of you alive for bait. That's why he hasn't been to see you in a while. He wants you to wonder when he's coming. He wants you terrified. He's a sick man. Sicker than I ever thought." Martinez mumbled.

She felt like her chest was caving in. _They were dead? She was bait?_ She struggled as much as her body would allow her at this point.

Martinez grabbed her shoulders and she winced as more pain shot through her body. "Please," She whispered. "Help me leave." She looked at him pleadingly.

He stared at her like he was seriously considering it and then he slowly shook his head. "I can't. There's no way I can sneak you out of here. You can barely walk and there's too many of them. We would be gunned down in an instant. I told the man outside that I was coming in here to…to have my fill of you." He trailed off.

The tears continued to pour from her eye. "Then kill me. End it now." She looked at him pleadingly.

"I can't. They would know. The Governor knows exactly how far to push before he kills you. If you die, they will pin it to me. I'm not ready to die." Martinez whispered.

He might not be ready, but she most definitely was. If he wouldn't help her, she would have to find a way to do it herself. _Maybe if she provoked the Governor a little more, he would slip and kill her._ She shut her eye and said a prayer in her head. She prayed whoever had killed that man Billy would find her and save her. _They had to be close, right?_ _Surely not everyone had died._

_So many unanswered questions, so much terror. How did it ever come to this?_

****AN: Okay, well I hope you all don't hate me too much! I can't reveal the identities yet, it would give too much away. I know you will all grieve for the unknown member, and I am as well. Just know that it _is_ The Walking Dead and it's bound to happen from time to time. I'll try to ease up on the next chapter. Remember, reviews are love! ;) Thank you all! **


	15. Chapter 15

****AN: Sorry I haven't been updating as usual. We took an unplanned last minute vacation and tonight is our last night. I was going to wait til tomorrow to post but you know I can't stay away! So I hope this chapter is up to par, LOL! Warning: May contain graphic content, so if it bothers you, skip it. If not, enjoy! I did! ;) Please review, it would make my night :)**

**...**

Daryl whipped around at the sound of the door coming open behind him. He flung his bow in front of him and Beth tightened her hand on her knife. He swallowed hard as the door swung open in what he thought to be the longest ten seconds of his life. When it finally opened all of the way he heard Beth's sigh of relief. There was no one there. The door started to swing back closed but it was stopped by a walker coming through. Daryl shot it in the head without hesitation and went to grab his bolt back. Before he could grab it though, he happened to glance up and his mouth went dry.

"Shit!" He hissed.

"What?" Beth whispered from behind him.

There were a horde of walkers wandering about in the alley behind the diner. Without thinking Daryl slammed the door shut but quickly realized it wouldn't stay shut. That explained how come the door had been so easy to open. Beth glanced around frantically for something to bar the door with. Daryl pressed his full body weight against the door but he could feel the walkers trying to push their way in.

"Hurry up." He growled.

"I'm trying!" Beth shouted frantically.

Everything that she grabbed to try and drag over to the door was either too light or bolted down.

"Damn it! Look fer some rope or somethin'!" Daryl cried.

"If you'll quit yelling for one minute then I might be able to think!" She yelled.

Daryl was starting to sweat with his efforts to keep the door shut. He saw Beth frantically tossing things to try and find something to help him out. He could feel his feet keep sliding across the tiled floor as the pressure behind the door increased. They both heard the door to the front open at the same time. Beth instantly stood up and looked at Daryl. The muscles in his arms and legs throbbed as he fought the door and the panic that was consuming him. Beth ran to the door to the dining area and came to a skidding halt as the door was thrown open.

They both stared in surprise as a man entered.

...

Beth eyed the man warily as he entered. He didn't _seem_ psycho but they both knew that looks could be deceiving. The first thing she noticed was that he had no hair. The second was that he was holding a large machete. She began to panick and felt herself inching towards Daryl.

"Look we gotta get out of here if we want a chance at hell in making it. I've got a place not far from here. I can help you get out of here." The man said.

Beth looked at Daryl and saw him eyeing the guy. He flicked his gaze at her and she shrugged.

"Alright." Daryl said.

The guy nodded. "The front is not so bad. Just let it go and we'll run like hell. Whatever you do, stay right behind me."

They both nodded and Beth went to stand by the door to wait on Daryl. He gave one last shove against the door and then he ran at her as the door spilled open behind him. She felt him shove her forward and she could hear the groans and shuffles of the walkers behind them. The man was standing at the front by the door.

"Cover me!" He said quickly as he threw the door open.

Beth held her knife tight and Daryl traded his crossbow for his knife as well. They rushed out behind the man and quickly started fending off walkers. The man was holding his own pretty well and they stuck together in a triangle formation as they made their way across the street. When they had cleared a pretty decent space, the man motioned for them to follow and they took off after him.

…

Daryl didn't know much about this man. He liked to think that he was a pretty good judge of character though, and the man didn't _seem_ to be dangerous. Either way, he figured they would follow for now and check things out. He thought about Carl's hat that he had shoved into his pack at the last minute. _They had been there. Or at least Carl had at one point. _He didn't want to think about what the hat might mean. Carl would never willingly leave his hat anywhere. Hell, he had kept up with it for this long.

They ducked down an alleyway and Daryl's eyes narrowed as they came to a dead end. He saw Beth glance around nervously and he was about to confront the guy when he jumped up and grabbed a ladder above their heads. He pulled down on it and began to climb.

"Come on, this way!" The man yelled.

Daryl motioned for Beth to go ahead of him and he brought up the rear. The climbed up two fire escapes and then the man knocked twice on a window before shoving it open. He disappeared inside and Daryl nodded for Beth to follow. Inside they were surprised to see two other people besides the man. They were in a room that had a couch, a table, and what appeared to be a small fridge. As he watched, the man crossed over to the fridge and grabbed three bottles of water, two of which he tossed to Beth and Daryl. They caught them and began to drink greedily, the water spilling down their chins. Daryl hadn't realized how thristy he was and the cold water was about the best thing he had tasted in a long time. He finally stopped to take a breath.

"Cold water?" He questioned.

The man nodded. "Generator." He pointed to the cord that snaked outside of the door and Daryl could hear the faint hum of the generator when he listened.

"Who are you?" Beth asked from beside him.

"I'm Steve," The man who had saved them said. "And this is Greg and Lisa." He nodded to the two other people in the room.

"This yer whole group?" Daryl asked. They didn't look capable of surviving this long on their own.

Steve nodded. "It is now. We've lost some..." He trailed off.

"Are you two alone?" Lisa asked.

Daryl studied her. She had short black hair and she was dressed in black clothing that covered her entire body. He felt hot and sweaty just looking at her. He flicked a glance at Greg. The man was about average, brown hair and medium build. He was also wearing glasses the he kept fiddling with. They seemed to be nice enough and Daryl was disappointed that none of his group was here. He had hoped that finding Carl's hat might be a sign but now he wasn't so sure. His attention came back to as he realized that Beth was talking and he had missed quite a bit of the conversation. He snapped back to attention.

"You must be starving. Have you eaten?" Lisa was asking.

"It's been a while." Beth said.

Steve walked over next to the fridge and came back with a couple of M.R.E.'s. Daryl and Beth hesitantly sat at the table with them. The meals weren't the greatest thing he had ever eaten but he had eaten much worse as well.

"So what's your story?" He asked between bites. His stomach was quietening down some now that it was getting food.

"We had a pretty good size group of about ten people. We're all that's left." Greg said.

"Lisa and Greg are together but we didn't know each other before this," Steve added. "What about you two?"

"We had a group once too. We don't know if they're alive." Beth said softly.

Daryl reached under the table and lightly touched the hand that rested on her thigh. She glanced down at it surprisingly and then gave him a small smile.

"That hat I saw you stuff in your pack. What's it to you?" Steve asked. He leaned forward on the table and Daryl saw him exchange a glance with the others.

"What do ya know 'bout that hat?" Daryl questioned. He was careful to keep his voice neutral.

Lisa sighed and ran a hand through her short hair. "Not much, I'm afraid. We saw the boy it belonged to when he ran into the diner. He wasn't in there very long but the walkers must have gotten a whiff and when Steve went down to try and help him out, he had already disappeared."

He heard Beth's sharp intake of breath. "Carl was there?" She put down her fork and sat up straight.

The other three exchanged a glance. "Carl? You know him?" Greg asked.

Daryl nodded. "He was part o' our group that's missing. Do ya have any idea where he went or if there was someone with him?"

Greg shook his head. "We saw him from up here exit before Steve got there. I noticed he wasn't wearing the hat on the way out. That hat isn't hard to miss either." Greg smiled softly.

"I hope he's okay. We couldn't see anyone else with him. We actually thought you two might be him coming back for the hat." Lisa added. "How did your group get split up?"

Daryl exchanged a look with Beth. "There's this guy, calls himself tha Gov'nor. He attacked our camp. Killed some people and might have taken some for all we know. We was the only ones ta escape that we had known of 'cept now. Been tryin' ta find 'em ever since."

"This...Governor, what's his deal?" Steve asked.

"He's sick. He tries to come across as a decent man but he's twisted. Stay away from him. He's sneaky and he won't hesitate to kill. He...he killed and hung my daddy on a cross." Beth's voice broke into a sob and she leaned into Daryl to cry into his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her awkwardly.

"Are you two related?" Lisa asked as she studied them curiously.

"No." Daryl said softly. She looked as if she wanted to ask more but she kept quiet and there was an awkward silence as Beth sobbed quietly into his shoulder. She finally sat up a few minutes later and wiped her face on her shirt sleeve.

"I'm sorry. It's been over a month I think but it's still hard to talk about it. I was keeping up with the days but I've lost count." Beth said quietly.

"And you've just been hopping from place to place? Just the two of you?" Greg asked.

"I think we've questioned our guests enough for now," Steve interrupted. "Perhaps you would like a place to rest?" He asked them.

Daryl eyed Beth and saw that she did look tired. They probably could both use a good night's sleep. After talking to the people for a bit, he was pretty sure they were harmless enough that they could take them up on their offer for one night.

Daryl nodded and the others bid them goodnight as Steve got up to lead them down a hallway. He passed by two doors before stopping at the third.

"What is this place?" Daryl asked as he looked around at the bland walls. It didn't look like an apartment.

"It was an office. Since we've decided to stick around for a bit, we moved some cots in. I'm afraid that's all we have to offer you. It might be rather cramped." Steve said apologetically.

He opened the door and Daryl saw that cramped was an understatement. He would almost have to sleep on top of Beth just for both of them to fit on the cot. There was a small desk and chair pushed over to the side that had a small kerosene lamp sitting on top of it.

"If you need anything, just ask. We don't mind the company so stay as long as you like." Steve said.

"I'm sure we'll be movin' 'long tomorrow. Gotta lot of ground ta cover." Daryl told him. He watched as Beth set her pack on top of the small desk.

"Okay then. Well, goodnight." Steve tipped his hand at them and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Daryl turned back around as Beth lit the lamp with one of the matches that was sitting next to it. She glanced up at him as he sat his pack on the floor near the bed. He watched her fiddle with her hands for a minute.

"I'll take tha floor." He said.

...

Beth glanced up sharply at Daryl. "No! I mean, I'm sure we can make this work." She looked at the cot.

She bit her lip at the size of it. It wasn't built for two but she figured they could manage. It would give her an excuse to be close to Daryl. She was suddenly feeling awkward being in this small space with him. She faked a yawn.

"I'm tired." She said.

She began to take off her boots and she heard him walk over towards her. He stopped right next to the chair where she was sitting. "Ya sure 'bout that?" He asked softly.

She swallowed hard and looked up at him. He was looking down at her with a look that set fire to her blood. She fumbled with her boots then stood up. They stood there looking at one another and then Daryl drug the pad of his thumb across her lip. She shivered and parted her lips slightly. He leaned down and took her mouth in a deep kiss that torched her soul. He took his time and explored her with his tongue. He kept his hands to his sides and she wished he would touch her. He finally pulled back.

"Tell me what ya want." He whispered.

She blushed. "Touch me." She said shyly.

"Where?" He replied. She ran her tongue over her lips. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her breasts and then snuck a glance up at him. He was breathing heavier and his eyes had darkened.

He rubbed his thumb across her nipple and she moaned slightly as she felt it harden beneath his touch. His hands snaked out to her waist and he twisted her around so that her back was pressed against his front. She could feel his erection through their clothes. His mouth touched her ear.

"I need it rough this time, think ya can handle it?" He whispered against her ear.

Her insides were already liquefied and she felt as though her whole body were on fire. She was pretty sure she could take on anything at the moment. She nodded.

"It gets too much, ya jus' say stop like I told ya last time alright?" He asked firmly.

She nodded again. "Yes." She said.

He wrapped his hand in her hair and yanked her head back gently but firmly. His lips descended on the side of her throat and burned their way across her neck. Her legs trembled.

"Take off yer clothes." He said a few minutes later.

She stepped back from him and slowly began to take her clothes off. She lifted her shirt over her head and then removed her pants. When she went to unhook her bra, he dropped to his knees in front of her and yanked her panties down in one quick sweep. She gasped as his mouth pressed into the center of her and her bra fell from her fingers minutes later. He thrust his tongue in and out over and over until she felt herself on the verge of an orgasm. He got up then and her legs shook as she stood there naked and trembling with need.

He took off his clothes and she marveled at his naked body. His muscles were well defined from being outside so much and she longed to run her hands over them again. She started to walk over to the cot but he stopped her with his hand.

"No." He said firmly. She glanced up at him in confusion. He tilted his head towards the desk. "There." She swallowed and her throat suddenly felt dry. She walked over next to it and waited, unsure of what he wanted. She felt him walk behind her and then his finger trailed a line across her back and over her butt. She shivered at the sensation. He grabbed her hips and used one hand to bend her upper body so that she had to grip the desk with her hands. He let go of her hips and used his foot to spread her legs further apart. His finger thrust inside of her and she stifled the moan that wanted to escape her lips. She wasn't sure how far sound carried here. She wasn't used to being around others anymore either.

Daryl's lips grazed her ear. "What did'ja do with that condom Beth?" He whispered.

She struggled to focus her thoughts as his finger continued its assault. Her insides quivered and her brain turned to mush.

"I..I don't remember." She ground out.

He pulled his finger out and she went to protest but he interrupted her. "Where?" He commanded. His fingers tangled in her hair and he tugged hard to tip her head back so that he could see her eyes.

"Don't stop." She begged.

"Then tell me where ya put it." He said.

She scanned her brain and then remembered she had stuck it in her back pocket. "It's in my back pocket." She said suddenly.

She felt him leave her and he rummaged into their tangle of clothes and she heard the crinkle of the wrapper as he located and opened the condom. She tried to turn and look at him but he shot her a look.

"Stay forward." He said firmly.

She turned back to the front. _Authoritative Daryl was sexy._ This was different than anything she had in mind but it was turning her on so much and she wished he would just hurry up and get on with it. It was driving her mad with desire. Just when she was getting ready to turn again, he came back up behind her and his finger pushed inside of her and started a fast rhythm. She moaned slightly and pushed back against him for relief. She felt her pleasure mounting, the tingling before her release and he pulled his finger out. She cried out in protest. Seconds later, he thrust his length inside of her swiftly and they moaned together. She gripped the edge of the desk as he thrust into her hard over and over. Her fingers started to slip so she laid her head down on the desk and he put his hand on the back of her neck to keep her bent over.

He thrust into her again and again until she began to feel the familiar build of sensations. This time he didn't stop and the waves of the orgasm hit her full force. He slowed to an achingly slow rhythm as she rode out the waves of sensation. His hands on her waist tightened and then she felt one hand reach around and grab her nipple. He tugged hard and she felt the echoing throbs deep inside of her as the waves subsided. His hand left her breast and he grabbed her hair and pulled hard again. It was a pleasant kind of pain and one that she wasn't used to but she thought she might like. Seconds later, she heard him groan his own release as he pumped into her two more times and then pulled out. She could hear his heavy breathing and she turned to see him lie down on the cot.

...

Daryl was sweating. He couldn't believe he had just fucked Beth like that and she had _liked _it. He wiped the hair back from his face as he heard her getting dressed. He hadn't went rough the first time like he had wanted because he had been afraid of scaring her and she had still been slightly bruised. He hadn't intended on having sex with her again so soon but after the earlier events, he had needed a release and he had needed it from _her._ She finished dressing and he felt the cot shift as she sat on the edge. He glanced over at her.

"Ya alright?" He asked. "I didn't hurt ya none?"

She looked at him and blushed. "No," She fiddled with her hair. "Actually, I liked it."

He gave her a slight smile and reached up to brush his thumb next to her mouth. He rubbed his thumb over the area gently and she parted her lips in response. He traced her bottom lip with his thumb and she stuck her tongue out gently to lick it. He hissed in a breath and his groin twitched in response. She watched his eyes darken and he pushed his whole thumb into her mouth. She appeared startled at first and then she closed her eyes and sucked on it gently.

"Fuck woman, ya tryin' ta kill me, ain't ya?" He said softly and she opened her eyes as he pulled his thumb out.

She leaned down to kiss him and he pressed her lips firmly to his with a hand to the back of her head. When she pulled away, they were both breathing deeply and now he had an erection again. He sighed and sat up. He was still naked. He briefly realized he had never remained naked with a woman this long after sex before. Usually, he was the first to dress and the first to leave. This time he didn't feel the urge to hurry and do either. He stood up and disposed of the condom. He pulled on a pair of pants as she watched him from her seat on the cot. He walked over to the bed and she reached a hand up to slowly trace one of his scars. His gaze met hers and his hand caught hers but he didn't stop her. He held her hand as she traced over the longest scar and he watched the emotions cross her face.

"Daryl, I-" She began.

"Don't." He cut her off. She glanced back to his face and he kissed her quickly.

"Let's go ta sleep. Long day tomorrow." He said as he climbed across her into the bed. He wasn't ready to face his past, not even with her.


	16. Chapter 16

****AN: HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE! Remember the reason we celebrate! I hope you all have a great holiday! I'm at work but I snuck around to write this chapter for you all because my muse was with me strong today. I don't know how well it turned out so bear with me. I don't feel like it's my greatest but it _is_ long so I hope it's okay. A BIG thank you to all of my reviewers, followers, and favorites! You all make me want to keep going even on days I don't feel like it! I would love to hear what you think as always! :-)**

**...**

Steve hadn't been kidding about the small cot but Beth didn't mind. It hadn't taken her long at all to fall asleep with Daryl's arms around her. He didn't have much choice but to wrap his arms around her because they had to sleep on their side to make room for the two of them. She had lay there listening to the beating of his heart before drifting off into a peaceful slumber. Now that she was awake, she was very aware of a large hand gripping her butt. Daryl mumbled in his sleep and shifted and his hand went up her shirt a little. She tingled as she remembered last night. She watched him in the early morning light as he slept.

It wasn't the first time she had woken before him although it didn't happen very often. He always looked so innocent and young in his sleep. Not that he was old by any means, but his face had been hardened by life's uncertain events. She imagined they all looked much older now that the world had fallen prey to walkers. She lifted her hand and lightly traced the stubble on his face. His mouth twitched and then his eyes popped open. It didn't take much to wake Daryl. He always seemed to be on guard and she wondered if he ever truly went to sleep.

"Hey." She whispered.

He stared at her for a few minutes; likely trying to get his bearings about him as she had done when she had first woke. Every time they woke, it always took a few minutes to orient themselves with their surroundings. "Hey yerself." He mumbled.

He shifted and stretched, his shirt rising up on his chest a bit. She traced her fingers across his naked stomach. He caught her hand and she smiled innocently at him.

"Better watch that. Treadin' on dangerous territory." He growled.

She leaned into him. "What if I feel like being dangerous today?" She said shyly.

He swore. "We got to find some more condoms. Ya gonna be the death of me." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then stiffened as if he hadn't meant to do that. Then he sat up and crawled over her to put his boots on. She sat up and fumbled for her boots as well.

They were just finishing putting on their "gear" which basically just consisted of knives and backpacks filled with water bottles which they needed to replenish when they heard what sounded like gunshots.

…..

Daryl stood still and tilted his head slightly to listen. Beth stared up at him with wide eyes but she remained quiet as well. They heard it one more time and then it grew quiet. Daryl knew something wasn't right. The sound didn't come from the building but rather it sounded farther off in the distance. His first thoughts were the Governor. He slung on his pack and grabbed his crossbow, hoping that Beth was ready to go. He stole a glance at her and found that she was ready and waiting behind him.

"Stay close." He muttered and she nodded like always.

He pulled the door to their room open and cautiously peered up and down the hallway. Even though the shots had been far away, he wasn't taking any chances with their safety. He kept his crossbow ready and he motioned for Beth to follow and they went back down the hallway to the room where they had talked with the others the night before. Lisa was at the window with a pair of binoculars and a gun and glanced back at them as they entered.

"Good! You're up! Your friend is back." She said.

"Carl?!" Beth asked and she pushed past Daryl to grab the binoculars from Lisa.

"Help yourself." Lisa replied with a frown.

Daryl walked over to the window and looked out over Beth's head. "What's goin' on?" He asked Lisa.

"Well I was on watch this morning when I saw a figure dart into the diner. At first I thought I was seeing things but then when I looked again, there he was. I alerted the guys and they went down there but he started shooting at them! He's fast, that's for sure." She said.

"Why didn't someone come get us? We could've talked ta him!" Daryl said a little angrily.

Lisa looked like she wanted to say something about his attitude but she didn't. "There wasn't any time."

"I don't see him Daryl!" Beth yelled as she tried to locate Carl through the binoculars.

"That's because he's gone. If you would have given me time to explain instead of grabbing the binoculars from me, I could have told you that." Lisa said.

"We appreciate your group's hospitality, but we gotta move. If we hurry, I might can pick up his trail." Daryl said with a glance at Beth.

She nodded in agreement and handed the binoculars back to Lisa who grudgingly accepted them. "I'm sorry." Beth said.

Lisa sighed and then finally nodded. "It's fine. Here take some of this jerky and energy bars. Might as well grab some water too. We've got a good bit stockpiled. I know how it is to be without." She walked over to the corner and handed them some things which Beth stuffed into her pack quickly.

"Thank you so much." Beth told her.

She waved goodbye to Lisa and followed Daryl down the ladder. They met Greg and Steve as they reached the ground.

"We just saw your friend," Steve said. He was out of breath and he took several deep breaths before continuing. "He shot at us before we could get close though. He took off back down the alley behind the diner. I figure he came back for his hat. Probably thought we took it."

"Lisa told us. We gotta head out. Gonna try ta catch up ta him, see if he knows where the rest of our group is." Daryl said.

"Thank you for everything." Beth smiled at them.

"You two take care." Greg said.

They said their goodbyes and Steve and Greg began their climb back up into their hideout. Daryl began to jog and Beth kept up with him easily. It was a good thing they were both in such great shape. Daryl's blood was pumping rapidly through his veins as he circled behind the diner. The street was mostly clear of the walkers from the previous day, but there were still a few here and there that they dodged as they ran. Daryl came to a stop behind the diner and began to look for clues. It was harder to pick up a trail in the city because mostly everything was concrete and left no prints. He got lucky and spotted a boot print in between some shrubs that at least told them what direction Carl had run in.

He hoped the boy wasn't running around out here on his own and he wondered why he had been on his own both times the others had seen him. The fact that he returned to the area so quickly told him that he must be hiding out somewhere nearby but there were so many places to hide here it was going to be a challenge to find him. He decided to stick to the side alleys and hoped to find some kind of clue as to his whereabouts.

…

Beth was worried about Carl. She was also so happy to know that he was alive. It gave her hope that maybe the others were with him. She missed her sister and she hoped that she and Glenn were alive somewhere out there. Daryl stopped beside her and aimed his bow at a small group of walkers. She swung her knife and slashed the throat of one and blood and guts spilled all over her boots. The walker wobbled and she kicked it down before ramming her knife into its skull. She heard Daryl's arrow whiz by her head and a few seconds later there was the thud of another walker dropping to the ground. He had taken out four walkers to her one. It was a lot easier and quieter with his bow than using a knife. She helped him gather his arrows and he wiped them on a patch of grass before shoving them back into their place. He loaded his bow again and kept it at his side as they continued on.

They walked for a bit before running out of alleys to cut through and Daryl led her out to the main street. They stopped at the edge of the street and Beth took the opportunity to grab a bottle of water. She drank half and passed the rest to Daryl who finished it promptly. He was looking around with a frown on his face.

"What is it?" She asked softly.

"Fuck! I don't know where tha hell he is!" He hissed. "He's a kid, he can't be that hard ta track!" Daryl paced the street in front of her.

"He's not a kid anymore Daryl. Carl's grown up a lot from the kid he once was." She said softly.

Daryl's frown increased before his features finally softened. He nodded. "I guess so."

She started to walk over to him but stopped as something down the street caught her eye. It was a person but they were so far away that she couldn't tell who it was. She knew it had to be Carl; they must have finally caught up with him. She raised her hand in a wave as Daryl turned to see what she was looking at.

….

Daryl shielded his eyes from the sun and saw the glint of metal that could only be one thing. _A gun_. He heard the crack of the gunshot at the same time he made a dive for her. He was too late and he watched in horror as she fell backwards onto the pavement.

"Fuck!" He shouted as he dove down beside her.

He wasted no time in grabbing her under the arms and pulling her behind a couple of trees. He peered between them but he didn't see the figure. He looked down at Beth who had blood pooling through her shirt on her side. He said a silent prayer that the bullet appeared to have just grazed her but he wasn't for sure. He needed to get her moved to check her over. He looked around frantically and spotted a house through the trees behind him. He stole another glance down the street but all was quiet. He shifted their packs around and adjusted his bow. He kept his knife handy as he lifted Beth gently and put her over his shoulder. He hated to do that to her, but he didn't know any other way to move her by himself. She moaned as he adjusted her carefully and the sound cut through him like a knife. He knew what gun shots felt like. He had had three in his lifetime and then there had been the time that dumb ass blonde had tried to shoot him as well.

He moved as quickly as he dared through the woods and as luck would have it, he didn't encounter any walkers. He slipped around a swing set in the backyard and climbed the porch steps. He paused and then decided he couldn't afford to leave her outside to clear the house. He opened the door and entered into a thankfully empty living room where he cleared the pillows off of a couch and set her down as gently as he could. He locked the door behind him and quickly knelt down beside her. His heart was thundering in his chest. She didn't move and her face was deathly pale. He took his knife and cut her shirt off of her so that he could see the wound. He didn't claim to be a doctor by any means but he was pretty sure it had just grazed her. She was bleeding heavily from the nick of the bullet and he knew she was at risk of infection if the wound got dirty. As much as he hated to, he left her momentarily and entered the hallway. He opened door after door until he found a bathroom. He yanked open the medicine cabinet and finally found some peroxide and some gauze.

When he came back to her she was coming to again and she was groaning. He hurried to her side and saw that her eyes were wide and frightened.

"It's alright. The bullet just grazed ya. I need ta clean it. It's gonna hurt like hell but I can't let it get infected. Understand?" He said.

She didn't respond other than to relax and he braced himself. As soon as the peroxide hit the wound, he knew he was going to have a fight on his hands to keep her still. He wiped at more blood that oozed from the wound. _Jesus, it's starting to look like a slaughterhouse in here._ He grabbed a small pillow and handed it to her.

"Bite down on this. Try ta keep as still as possible." He said gently.

She nodded and whimpered. He unscrewed the cap and began to pour the peroxide over the wound. She instantly pressed the pillow to her face to muffle her screams and her body went rigid. Seconds later, she passed out and he was thankful. At least she could escape the pain for a bit. He finished cleaning the wound and wrapped the gauze as tight as he could around it to stop the bleeding. It would have to do for now as resources were limited. He went back to the cabinet and found a few ibuprofen which he pocketed for later. She would need those when she came to again. He cleaned off her stomach and side as best as he could without moving her.

He was out of his element when it came to this kind of thing. He could only do what he remembered people doing when it had happened to him. He searched and found a blanket to cover her; he would have to locate another shirt for her later.

He walked to the window and lit a cigarette. He inhaled the smoke deep into his lungs and sighed. He hadn't gotten a good look at the shooter so he didn't know if it was Carl, the Governor, or someone else. He looked down at his hands that were red with Beth's dried blood. He remembered the pain that had tore through him as he had seen her fall outside and his hands shook slightly. He didn't know what he would have done if it had killed her. He just couldn't imagine going on without her. Behind him, Beth whimpered and he hurriedly put out his cigarette to go to her.

It was going to be a long day.

****AN: Alright, let me also add that I do not know much about cleaning superficial gunshot wounds and all of my information has come from browsing Google. I hope it's correct and if it's not, go easy on me. It's all Google's fault, really. LOL! I started to make this a cliffhanger but then I decided I do that to you all enough as it is, so I battled through it a bit further because I love you all so much! Thanks for reading! ;)**


	17. Chapter 17

****AN: Alright folks, it gets a little rough from here on out for a bit, but if you've been reading so far, you should be prepared for that. It gets a little deep from this point on because we will be treading through some sensitive issues. With that being said, I would love a review! I hope you enjoy! ;)**

**...**

Daryl lay a wet towel across Beth's forehead gently. He had found more bottled water and various foods for which he was glad. She hadn't been out too long, but she kept moving around and whimpering. He tried to keep her as still as possible but it was hard and he didn't want to restrain her and have her wake up in a panic. He sat in a chair next to the couch and watched her. He didn't know what to do but wait. He wanted to go and check out the area where the shooter had been but he didn't dare leave Beth.

Daryl wasn't good at waiting. He liked to be doing something, keeping busy. He didn't feel very useful at the moment just sitting there watching her. He kept getting up and going to the windows to peek out. It had been quiet ever since that one shot and he supposed the shooter was either long gone by now or trying to find them. If he _was_ trying to find them, it wouldn't take him very long, considering Daryl hadn't been able to carry her that far from where she had been shot.

He wondered about the shooter's identity. He had been thinking about it constantly since he had gotten Beth settled. He supposed it could have been Carl and he might have shot Beth because he didn't recognize her. It could just as easily have been the Governor or one of the men he had had with him when bombing the prison that day. It could also have been just a random person passing through. Daryl rested his head in his hands and sighed. It all boiled down to the fact that it could have been anyone. Now there was no way of knowing, but the first chance Daryl got, he was going down to that spot to check it out. This was far from over.

Beth moaned and her eyes fluttered open. Daryl sat up quickly and leaned closer to her. Her eyes stared blankly around at the walls and he moved into her view so that she wouldn't panic.

"Hey, how ya feelin'?" He asked softly. Her eyes seemed to focus on him finally and she smiled.

"Daryl. Is it time to move on?" She asked.

He stared at her blankly for a moment before realizing she was in the midst of a fever and she was a bit delusional.

"No. It's not time yet. Just rest fer now. You been sick." He told her.

She tilted her head at him. "I don't feel sick. I think you should take my clothes off and look for injuries." She smiled again.

Daryl groaned. Of course she was delusional _and_ flirting with him. His mind automatically shifted to her naked and he could feel himself responding to the image. He wiped his forehead and cursed himself. He felt like such a bastard for thinking about things like that when she was clearly not well. He felt her warm hand touch his arm and he looked back at her.

"We can't take ya clothes off right now. Ya gotta focus on gettin' better." He said. He took the cloth from her forehead and dipped it into the bowl of water he had sitting to the side for that specific purpose. He laid the towel back across her forehead. She was burning up. He took out one of the ibuprofens. He was trying to space them out because there weren't that many and he didn't want to run out before she started feeling better.

"I need ya to take this. It'll make ya feel better." He held the pill up and picked up a bottle of water he had sitting a few feet away.

"You're so silly. I told you I feel fine." She smiled again but she opened her mouth and took the pill. He watched in relief as she sipped some of the water.

"Just try ta rest okay? Ya need ta keep still." Daryl didn't want to mention the gun shot in case she freaked out but he kind of wished she would go back to sleep so that he didn't have to keep lying to her. He was worried that she might feel it or remember and freak out on him.

"You're such a sweet man Daryl," Her eyes started to droop and her voice slurred. "Has anyone ever told you that? I love-" She winced sharply and then closed her eyes as her head lolled to the side.

He put his fingers to her neck and felt the steady beat of her pulse and let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

_She loved what? Him? No, that wasn't possible. Was it?_

He paced back and forth behind the couch. After a few minutes he decided it was probably best to check out the rest of the house and make sure everything was secure since they were obviously staying for a bit.

…..

She didn't know how long she had been in this dark hole now. She hadn't had any more visitors since Martinez besides the occasional scrap they tried to pass off as food. She was feeling a bit stronger since then and whatever Martinez had given her had helped considerably. She could barely open her left eye now but she still couldn't see anything but blurry images through it. She figured if she made it through this, she probably wouldn't ever be able to see clearly through it again. She smelled so bad she couldn't even stand herself. With no way to use the bathroom, she hadn't had any other choice but to use it on herself. It was one of the most humiliating experiences of her life.

Every minute that passed and no one came for her was a torture all in itself. Every minute that passed her hope for escape or rescue also dwindled. She could see daylight peeking in from under the bottom of the door and when she wasn't sleeping fitfully, she would stare at it and occasionally see the shadow of a person passing by. It was the only thing she had to focus on. She didn't have many good memories from her life before to dwell on and the ones she did have made her sad to think about. She watched another shadow cover the light from the bottom of the door, but it didn't move away this time. A few minutes later she heard muffled voices and the door was thrust open. It was the Governor himself and this time he was alone.

He flipped on a switch and light illuminated the small room. She watched as he shut the door back behind him but not before she saw that there were men waiting outside. She swallowed hard as she tried to figure out what form of torture she would be submitted to this time. The Governor ran a hand through his hair and smiled his fake smile at her. She knew better. The man had not one ounce of sympathy for anyone. He approached her slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. She refused to cower and instead stared him head on.

He stopped mere inches from her. "My, my, you are a strong woman. So far you've withstood all of my hospitality." He grinned and she wanted to kill him.

"Go ahead and do your best. I'm tired of waiting." She said softly.

He raised an eyebrow as he regarded her silently. "My how our attitude has changed since we last spoke. You've got it made here," He stepped back to sweep his hand around the room. "You've been protected from walkers, you've gotten fed, and I've given you your very own room." He smiled again.

She wanted to kick his teeth in and she felt like she could kill him with her bare hands given the opportunity. "I must have slept through the food because I haven't seen much since I've been here. The accommodations are severely lacking." She said bitterly.

He placed one arm on the wall and leaned his face in close to hers. "You don't sound very grateful. Maybe you need a reminder of how hard it is out there with the biters."

Inside she trembled but she struggled to keep it together. She was done cowering. If he killed her, she would die a fighter. She maintained eye contact. "Go. To. Hell." She smiled her most endearing smile and was pleased when the smile left his face in response. Then he laughed and the sound sent chills down to her very core.

"I admire your spirit, I really do. It's so entertaining to watch that fire come to your eyes. Or should I say your _eye_. I think I'm going to enjoy letting you go." He said. His eyes watched her face for her reaction but she was careful to keep her face blank.

"Going to remain mute now are we? We'll see how long that lasts. Wouldn't you like to know what I have planned for you?" He asked.

She bit the bullet. "What?" She asked through clenched teeth. He wouldn't stop until he got an answer from her anyway.

He trailed a finger down her cheek and she turned her head away in disgust. "I'm letting you go." He pulled back and walked to the center of the room. She regarded him carefully.

She knew this was another trick. There was no way he was going to let her go this easily. She wondered what sick game he had planned now. He watched her for a few minutes more and then went to the door and knocked twice. The door opened and three men entered. She didn't see Martinez anywhere and she wondered if he had been caught or if he just wasn't asked to participate. She cleared him from her thoughts. She didn't have time to waste worrying about a man she barely knew. He had been kind to her when no one else had though, and she wouldn't forget that.

She knew the Governor was waiting on her to question him further. He wanted her to get excited. She would indulge him this because she really was curious and it aggravated her that he knew she would be.

"You're letting me go?" She questioned.

The Governor glanced at his men and smiled. Two of them smiled in response and the third just stared at her. It was really creepy. The Governor strolled back and forth in front of her, clearly enjoying his position as ringleader.

"Of course. You're obviously unhappy here and I'm not an unreasonable man. My people will provide you with a change of clothes and then I'm going to set you free. My men and I will give you one hour to get as far away from here as possible and then we will pursue," He paused and gave her another chilling smile. "And if we can't find you, then you're free. _But_ if we catch you, I promised my men they could have you as their prize." He chuckled.

She saw the men stare at her hungrily and her legs threatened to buckle underneath her. Her heart was pounding in her chest. An hour was nothing without a vehicle. _How would she get away in an hour?_ He was setting her up to fail; he would never give her the advantage. She glanced from the Governor then back to his men. He followed her gaze in amusement.

"My men haven't been with a woman in quite some time. I think once we get you cleaned up and they can see your shining personality, there may be a fight amongst them on who gets to claim you first. Unless the walkers get you first and in that case, we all lose." He signaled his men to release her. "Oh, and don't try any funny business. They have orders to shoot first and ask questions later." He smirked and walked out of the room.

The men went to work on her shackles and when she had her hands released she rubbed her wrists momentarily to ease the ache from wearing the heavy metal. Finally she was completely unshackled and she wobbled a second as she tried to take a step. A blindfold was placed over her eyes and she was led from the room out into the sunshine. She stumbled a bit as they pulled her with them because she couldn't see what was in front of her feet. She still had no idea where she was. She felt herself being led into another room and then her blindfold was yanked off.

She looked around and saw that she was in a slightly larger room but it was furnished with a desk, a small table, and a few chairs. There was a stack of clothes sitting on the table and the men thrust her over to them.

She eyed them. "Where do I change?" She asked even though she had a feeling she knew the answer.

"Right here darlin'. We want a glimpse of the merchandise. Now don't be shy. Let's see it." One of the men drawled.

The others snickered and they all stood in front of the exit with their arms crossed. They were practically drooling. It was completely disgusting but it wasn't the hardest thing she had encountered here by any means so she just tried to clear her mind and concentrate on the task at hand. She picked up the bulky shirt that had clearly been a man's tee. Underneath it were a pair of men's drawstring pants and a pair of scruffy boots that had seen better days. She changed out of her clothes one at a time and she was acutely aware of all of the bruises she could now see on her body. She looked like a spotted leopard. She struggled to maintain her composure. She refused to let them get to her. When she finished lacing the boots she stood in front of them again and two of them came back over to her. One stopped in front of her and the other went around behind her. She swallowed through a lump in her throat. She felt the man behind her grab her arms and yank them behind her. He placed what felt like a cable tie around her wrists.

"Hey!" She protested. "He never said anything about this!"

"We voted a rule change Senorita. This is just to make it interesting." The man in front of her stated.

They blindfolded her yet again and one of them picked her up. His hands slid over her breasts as he lifted her and she fought against the binds on her wrists. The man chuckled and she was carried for a bit before he put her down on what felt like the bed of a truck. She heard the tailgate slam and then the rumble of an engine. They traveled for what felt like ages but she wasn't sure because she had lost all sense of time. She winced with every bump in the road as her body protested the movement. Finally the truck coasted to a stop and she heard a man jump off. She barely had time to think and then someone grabbed her by the foot and slid her towards the end of the bed. She sucked in a breath at the thought of more bruises. She was set on the ground roughly and the blindfold was removed.

She glanced around at her surroundings. She was in the woods and they were standing on a small dirt road that had apparently been used for logging trucks because various trees were on the ground surrounding them. The man regarded her silently for a few minutes then he sighed.

"Your time is wasting honey. Better get a move on unless you want to go ahead and forfeit?" He smiled at her.

She wasted no time in replying and with a pounding heart; she willed her legs to move.


	18. Chapter 18

****AN: Alright everyone, some deep stuff in this chapter! So once again, if you think it will bother you, you may want to skip! We're starting to figure some more stuff out now, so I hope you all enjoy. The muse wouldn't leave me alone with this story so I know I've been neglecting my other fics, but I promise I'll get back to them soon. I may even get a chapter out for one of them tonight. I do hope you all enjoy this chapter as it took me a bit to write it. I would appreciate any and all reviews! Thanks again! ;)**

...

She ran through the woods as fast as her legs would carry her which in reality wasn't that fast at all. She knew the Governor would play dirty and he probably wouldn't give her a whole hour even though she would never truly know if he did or not. She forced herself to run faster even when her legs wanted to buckle beneath her. Branches and limbs tore at her arms and face as she ran through the woods. She ran until she was gasping for breath and her ribs protested the heavy breathing. She was shaking uncontrollably from terror and pure exhaustion. Her body was far from capable of handling the outdoors at this moment but she was going to give it all she had and hope for the best. This might be the only shot she got at getting away.

She spotted a walker off in the distance and only then did she realize she had no weapons to kill them with nor did she have use of her hands either. She frantically glanced around for something to break the tie around her wrists. She stood more of a chance at killing a walker if she had her hands free. She grew panicked as she found nothing in sight that might break the bonds. She knew time was ticking and she battled within herself as to what to do. She took a few calming breaths and then decided to keep running. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and the Governor's men as possible.

She figured if all else failed and they found her, she would let herself be eaten by a walker. That was surely a better fate than being at the hands of those men. If she understood correctly, she was going to be passed around from man to man if she was caught. Which meant subjecting herself to being raped over and over. So far, she hadn't been violated in that way but she had been groped multiple times. She would die before she let those men use her in that way.

She spotted a small shack in the woods and she ran toward it with a renewed energy. She slowed as she got closer and realized the Governor could have set traps for her. She circled the outside of the shack slowly and peered into the window in the back. She didn't see any walkers and she approached the door cautiously. Inside the shack she noted nothing of interest. A rickety bed, a table, and a lone kerosene lamp were all that occupied the space. She turned to leave and then stopped and turned back to the bed thoughtfully. She took her foot and lifted up a corner of the mattress to reveal wire springs underneath. Smiling genuinely for the first time in a long time, she worked the mattress with her foot. She kept an eye on the door until she had the mattress halfway off of the bed.

She took her foot and stomped on a corner of the wire until it gave way beneath her. She ran to the door and did a quick sweep with her eyes for walkers. There were none that she could see and she ran back over to the bed and dropped to the floor. She scooted back until she felt the cool metal touch her hands. Using her hands to feel, she found a loose corner and began to grind the tie back and forth across it roughly. She quickly realized that the task wasn't going to be as easy as she had once thought. Her arms were sore and she was getting tired very quickly. Finally she was rewarded for her efforts and the tie broke in half. She rubbed her wrists to bring back some of the circulation and stood up to leave.

A walker ambled up to the doorway as she tried to make her exit. She looked around for something to grab to try and defend herself. She picked up the kerosene lamp and swung it at the walker's head as hard as she could. It connected with a sickening crunch and the head came rolling off of the walker and landed by her feet. The body stood up for several seconds more and then fell over. She had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit as it crashed to the floor. She dropped the lamp and ran out of the door back into the woods. She had no idea how much time had elapsed already but she knew that she needed to hurry. She needed a place to hide.

...

Daryl did a last check of all of the windows and locks in the house before coming back to Beth. He had found various candles and a flashlight on his search through the house and he had a few of the candles lit in the living room for them to see by. He had placed blankets over the windows that didn't have heavy curtains to help block their light once night fell. He had woken Beth up one time since she had passed back out earlier to give her more ibuprofen. He was glad to see that her fever seemed to have broken and she was sleeping more peacefully.

He pulled out more clean gauze and peroxide to change the bandage and clean the wound again. As he pulled the blanket back and began removing the old gauze, her eyes opened. He froze for a moment, unsure if she was really awake or dreaming again. She had opened her eyes at him earlier but she hadn't seemed to see him.

"Daryl?" She whispered.

"Yeah, it's me." He said.

She grabbed his hand and he flinched but let her hang onto it. "Did I get shot?" She asked.

He nodded. "Ya did. But I think I gotcha patched up alright and yer fever broke so I think we gonna be okay."

She let go of his hand and he went back to changing the bandage. He glanced at her to see her clenching her teeth and gripping the couch so tight her knuckles were white. She caught his eye and tried to smile but she didn't quite make it.

"I'm alright." She whispered.

Daryl arched a brow but said nothing and finished changing the bandage. The wound looked a little better than it had earlier and he was relieved. There wasn't much blood on this bandage either. He finished changing them but when he went to stand she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her. She wasn't very strong and he could have pulled away if he had wanted but he let her pull him. She placed her warm lips on his and he placed his hands on either side of her head to keep his weight off of her. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and he bit her lip gently between his teeth. They kissed for a few minutes before he pulled away. Her eyes drifted to his pants where his erection was blatantly obvious. She blushed and he turned slightly to hide it.

"Hungry?" He asked gruffly. He needed to change the subject.

"Starved." She replied with a slight smile.

He nodded and walked away to the kitchen, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

...

She gasped as she caught a cramp in her side and she clenched her teeth together in pain. She leaned against a tree and tried to catch her breath. She had been running for a long time and she still hadn't made it out of the woods. It was getting close to dark and she knew her hour was long up. She didn't even have any idea if she was running further in or towards an exit at this point. She wiped her face with her arm to keep the sweat from her eyes. She was running on fumes but she was desperate.

"Here kitty, kitty. Come here darlin'." A voice drawled a few feet behind her.

She froze and stood completely still. _No, no way had they caught up to her already. _She swallowed and snuck a peek around the tree. Sure enough, she recognized him as one of the Governor's men and he was standing there with a cocky grin on his face.

"I see you darlin'. Come on out now, nice an' slow an' maybe I'll go easy on ya." She heard the click of a gun and she squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to think. She walked from behind the tree because she knew she had no chance on outrunning a man with a gun even if she wasn't in the shape she was in. She approached him slowly with her hands hanging loosely by her sides. He relaxed his aim on the gun and continued to grin at her. She noticed that although he appeared to be younger than her, he was missing a couple of teeth. His hair was short and curly and in bad need of a wash.

"That's far enough," He commanded when she had stopped a few feet away. "I wanna see my prize. Take off yer top, let's see them tits." He spat on the ground a few feet from her shoes and she cringed in disgust. "Ain't got all day darlin'." He said.

With trembling hands she pulled her shirt over her head until she stood there in her tattered bra. She may as well have been wearing nothing with as much as it covered. She removed her bra as slow as she dared until she was standing there topless and she crossed her arms to cover herself.

"Move yer hands." He demanded. He pointed the gun towards her and she winced but removed her hands and hung them stiffly at her sides. The man whistled and walked closer until he was just in front of her. He rubbed a dirty finger over one of her nipples and she bit her lip to keep from crying. The man licked his lips and reached down to unzip his pants. He pulled his dick out and her hands clenched into fists. She would kill him or herself before she would ever let herself be raped.

"Get down on yer knees bitch. Let's see what kinda skills ya got." She turned her head and felt the cold hard metal of the gun press under her chin.

She slowly sank to her knees and stared at the sight before her. She knew what she had to do. She took a deep breath and flicked a glance at him. He was watching her with eyes filled with lust. Shebit back the bile in her throat, put her mouth on him, and he moaned. The hand holding the gun fell to his side and his head fell back. She saw her chance and took it. She bit him as hard as she could until she tasted blood.

He screamed and pushed her back violently causing him to drop the gun. He grabbed himself and squealed as he squirted blood everywhere. She knew the noise was likely to attract walkers or any other men in the area so she grabbed her shirt and yanked it back on, leaving the bra. She swiped the gun while he rolled on the ground and held himself.

"You bitch!" He raged.

She cocked the gun and his eyes landed on it wildly. "Easy now honey, maybe we can come to an agreement of sorts. I won't tell nobody and ya just give me that gun back, ya hear?"

She laughed crazily and walked up to him to spit his blood on his face. "You got the bitch part right, but I'm not _your_ bitch. You tell your Governor I said he can kiss my ass." She smiled coldly and fired a shot in each of the man's legs. He screamed and she tucked the gun in her waistband and took off running, not daring to look back.

...

Daryl watched Beth finish eating the soup he had opened for her. It wasn't the most appealing thing in the world, but it would keep her from going hungry. She didn't complain, she just ate it and laid her head back on the pillow to rest. He fiddled with a box of matches he had found on his search earlier. He glanced up and their eyes met. He could see that she was tired and Daryl was anything but. He was running on adrenaline and now that he knew Beth was likely to be okay, he wanted to get out to that spot where the shooter had been before dark set in. He glanced towards the window and saw that it would be settling it soon.

"Alright, what gives?" Beth said softly.

Daryl's gaze slid over to hers. "Whatcha mean?"

"If you need to get out for a bit, go ahead. I'm sure I will be just fine here."

Daryl chewed on his thumb as he considered that. He hesitated to leave her in the condition that she was in, but on the other hand he really needed to check that spot. If Carl was out there, he needed to know before the tracks were gone.

He sighed. "I ain't goin' far. Jus' down tha road where the shooter was. I need ta know." He said softly.

Beth stared at him a few minutes before nodding. "Go. I'll be fine here."

Daryl stood up and pulled out the one gun they still had from that man in the forest. They had never used it so it was still loaded. He set it next to her with the safety off. He paced back and forth for a minute.

"Ya sure? I can stay if-"

"Daryl! Go. I've got the gun, I'll be fine. You won't even be gone that long."

Daryl ran his hands through his hair. He walked over and planted a kiss on her lips. He wanted to ask her about what she had been talking about earlier but he figured it might have just been the fever talking. If she hadn't meant she loved him, then he would be embarassed for bringing it up. He wanted to tell her he loved her but he wasn't sure he was ready to say it.

He didn't really know what love was. It wasn't like he had had many examples of it throughout his lifetime. He saw more love now that the world had ended than when everything had been its own version of normal. He supposed that if he did love anybody then it would be Beth. He couldn't imagine life without her and she seemed to accept him for who he was despite his flaws.

He made sure she was situated and had her knife as well before he stepped outside. He moved a table on the small porch over in front of the door since he couldn't lock it because Beth wouldn't be able to let him back inside. He jogged through the dense trees and down to the spot where the shooter had been. He hoped like hell he could find a clue.

...

The man's shouting grew farther and farther away until she could barely hear it any longer. She had heard the sounds of an engine behind her but she didn't see anyone so she could only assume that they had found the man she had shot in the legs. That meant that they would be coming for her soon. She pushed herself to move faster and her body struggled to keep up the pace.

She began to see signs of houses through the trees and she almost cried in relief. _Just a little farther. _She could hide in one of the houses and hopefully they wouldn't find her. She could hear shouting in the woods behind her now. She pushed branches and limbs out of her way and ran blindly towards her chance at freedom.

She didn't see the root sticking up until it was too late. She tripped and fell flat on her face. She just lay there, her body exhausted to the point where she couldn't even get up. This was how she was going to die. She had made it this close and now she was going to be taken back to that Godforsaken place to be passed around like a rag doll. Silent tears rolled down her dirty cheeks as the voices grew closer. She closed her eyes and awaited her fate.

...

Daryl studied the prints carefully. They were smaller than an adult print and he smiled. He knew it had to be Carl. That explained the one shot. He had probably just been trying to scare them off and he probably didn't even know he had hit Beth. Of course, if he knew it was Beth, he never would have shot her so he must have thought they were hostile. There was nothing there but the prints. That was enough for Daryl though, he had his answer now. He even knew which direction Carl had been headed. They were one step closer to finding the answers they were seeking. Now if he could only get Beth better then they might be able to catch up to him while the trail was still fresh.

Daryl sighed and reached into his pocket for a cigarette. He hadn't been gone long and he figured he might as well have a smoke on the way back to Beth. He paused in the middle of lighting it as he heard a soft whimper. He pulled the unlit cigarette out of his mouth and stuck it back in his pocket. He raised his bow and began to scan the woods that were to his right. He saw an arm reach up over a fallen log and he almost dropped his bow.

"Tha' fuck?" He whispered.

He crept closer and heard the soft moan of a woman. As he got closer still, he began to hear men shouting. He couldn't make out what they were saying but they sounded angry. They weren't that far away either and from what he could tell, they were getting closer. He peered at the figure on the ground. He couldn't tell much from this angle especially since the daylight was rapidly disappearing.

"Hey! You alright?" He whispered. He crept closer and nudged the figure with the toe of his boot while keeping his bow locked on them in case they made any sudden moves.

The woman was skinny and definitely appeared to have seen better days. He glanced towards the woods as the shouts grew closer. He was torn between leaving her there or dragging her to safety. He had already determined she wasn't a walker but he still couldn't see her face because she was lying on her stomach. She moaned again and whimpered slightly. He situated his bow onto his back and reached down to turn her over. He couldn't make out much with all the dirt and bruises on her face. He reached under her to lift her and she tried to claw at him.

"Goddamn it woman. Keep still, I'm tryna help ya." He muttered.

Her arms flopped back to her sides and he was surprised at how light she was. He jogged back down the street as beacons of light swept through the forest. Whoever those men were, they were looking awfully hard for the woman. From what he could tell, she must have been trying to run from them. He knew he should have just minded his own business but he couldn't leave her like that.

He turned from the street and crossed through the dense trees back to the house where Beth was. The woman hadn't made any more noises and he briefly wondered if she might be dead. He leaned her against the house and pressed two fingers to her throat. He could feel her pulse but it was very weak. He moved the table from in front of the door and pulled her quickly inside.

Beth tried to sit up in alarm as he shut the door behind them, but she quickly realized that wasn't possible with her wound. "Who is that?" She whispered.

"I don't know. She was jus' layin' there in the woods. Damn woman don't weigh no more an' a sack o' taters. People was lookin' for 'er but they didn't sound like good people." Beth read the meaning behind his words and she pulled the blankets up tighter to her chin.

Daryl spread a blanket out on the floor and laid the woman down onto it gently. He figured she must have passed out because she wasn't moving and her eyes weren't open. He went to the kitchen to grab another bottle of water. Using one of the towels he kept for Beth, he started to wipe her down. Beth watched with wide eyes from her perch on the couch.

"They so many bruises on 'er. Hard to see anything." Daryl said.

"Do you think those men were with the Governor?" Beth asked.

"I don't know. They wasn't good people is all I know." He continued wiping her off and then started on her face. One of her eyes were matted shut and he left that alone and wiped the dirt and blood from her face. When he got to her mouth she suddenly woke up and before he knew what was happening, she had a gun aimed at him. He dropped the towel and held his hands up as he heard Beth's startled gasp from behind him.

The woman stared at him coldly and he tilted his head to study her. There was something familiar about her eyes as she stared him down and he leaned closer despite the gun to peer at her in the candlelight.

"Holy shit. Carol?" He exclaimed.


	19. Chapter 19

****AN: This was a hard chapter to write for various reasons. Sorry about the wait, and thank you to those who have reviewed and encouraged me to continue. It really does make all the difference. Please bear in mind all that Carol has gone through so far as you are reading. More notes to follow at the end! :)**

**...**

The room was deathly quiet as the seconds ticked by and Daryl stared down the barrel of that gun aimed at his face. It seemed to take her a few minutes but she finally seemed to recognize who he was and she slowly lowered the gun.

"Daryl?" She rasped.

He winced at the throaty sound of her voice and he exchanged a glance with Beth whose expression was full of concern. He nodded slowly. His eyes swept all over her body as he tried to figure out what the hell had happened to her. His first thoughts were the Governor. She had multiple bruises covering what he could see of her body and one of her eyes were swollen so bad he was surprised she could open it halfway. She was pale and even skinnier than she had been at the prison. Rage flowed through him as he took it all in. He would kill the son of a bitch before it was all said and done. He promised himself that.

"It's me. Beth is here too. You're okay." Daryl said softly.

He watched as her eyes flicked over to where Beth was and Beth gave her a small smile. Her fingers loosened on the gun that she still had gripped in her hand even though she had lowered it to the floor. He watched several emotions cross her face.

"Maybe she's thirsty Daryl." Beth said from her perch on the couch. She handed him her bottle of water. Before he could offer it to Carol though, she snatched it from his hands and began to drink greedily. He had never known Carol to snatch anything, but then again she had been through a lot.

"Easy, you'll make yerself sick." He muttered.

She shot him a look but she did slow down and began to sip the water. Daryl helped her to lean against the chair that was next to the couch. He sat across from her and there was an awkward silence. He started to feel uncomfortable so he stood up.

"I'm gonna go see if they some clothes somewhere that might fit her. Be right back." He told Beth.

Beth nodded and he left the room gratefully. These things made him uncomfortable and not only was he taking care of Beth, but now he had Carol as well. He could only wonder who else was out there and what kind of shape they were in.

...

Beth studied Carol from her position on the couch. Her side was still sore but she could tolerate the pain enough to pull herself up a little on the couch. She couldn't believe it when Daryl had come in with Carol. She looked so _different,_ so _broken._ Her heart ached for her because this was _not_ the Carol they knew from the prison. This was a much harder, pissed off Carol.

She didn't know what to say to her that seemed appropriate so she just sat in silence and waited for Daryl. She thought Carol had fallen asleep until she spoke a few minutes later.

"Everyone else dead?" Carol whispered.

"We don't know. Carl's been spotted, but Tyreese and Sasha are dead...and my daddy." She trailed off as the memory tried to surface. She willed it back down and concentrated on Carol who was staring at the wall.

Carol smirked. "Surprised you two made it this far."

Beth was a little taken aback at her words but she reminded herself that Carol had been through a lot and she probably wasn't herself right now.

Beth cleared her throat. "We, um, escaped through the fence when the Governor swarmed the prison. We couldn't get to anyone else so we ran and waited. We came back but we never found anyone. We didn't know if they escaped or were taken. We've been trying to find the Governor ever since."

Carol laughed softly and turned her head to stare Beth in the eyes. "Well you found him. You can bet he's out there looking for me now. I'll die before I let him take me again." She continued to stare at Beth with eyes that looked so dark and empty that Beth felt chills down her spine. Finally, Carol closed her eyes and Beth breathed a sigh of relief as she let her head rest onto the back of the couch.

She heard Daryl walk back into the room and she turned her head to meet his eyes. "She's asleep I think." Beth whispered. She didn't mention their conversation. She figured Daryl had enough on his plate as it was and she didn't want him worrying any more than he was already.

Daryl stood there awkwardly with the clothes he had found bunched in his hands. He set them on a chair and went to the windows to peer out. Beth watched as he chewed on his thumb. It was a habit she noticed he had when he was worried or thinking hard about something.

"I'm pretty sure it was Carl that shot ya." He said finally.

Beth perked up at this news. "Oh?"

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. Prints looked ta be 'bout his size. I seen tha direction they went so we might have a shot in finding him."

Beth breathed a sigh of relief. _At least it wasn't some mad man on the loose shooting at her. _She frowned. _Well, besides the Governor anyway._

She saw Daryl glance down at Carol and she knew that he was upset. Carol had been his friend long before they had even met. She was friends with Carol as well, but she knew that the bond between him and Carol went deeper.

"She'll be okay." She said softly.

Daryl's eyes met hers and he sighed. "How's yer bandage? Any more bleedin'?"

She glanced down at it and shook her head. "No. It still hurts but it doesn't appear to be bleeding anymore."

"I don't even know what ta do ta help her." Daryl was looking back at Carol again. "Look at 'er. Those bastards beat tha hell outta her." His voice shook with rage and disgust.

Beth wished she could stand so that she could go to him and comfort him. She knew he would never seek comfort willingly. He might not even let her comfort him at all.

...

Daryl came awake some time later and noticed that Carol wasn't sleeping in the spot he had left her. He glanced to the couch and could barely make out Beth's sleeping form and he felt momentarily relieved. He stood up slowly from his position in the chair, grabbed a candle, and went in search of Carol.

He found her in the front of the house, staring out of the windows into the night. She let the curtain fall back into place as he approached. He stopped a few feet away from her, unsure of what to say to her.

"If I had known where-" He began.

"You didn't." Carol interrupted.

Daryl ran a hand through his hair. "We tried. Both of us. We been tryin'." He paused and began to pace the floor in front of her. "Were any of the others with ya?" He asked. He wasn't too sure he wanted to know or not at this point.

Carol turned to face him and he could barely see the tormented expression cross her face from the dim light of the candle. Tears glistened in her eyes and he battled himself on what he should do. She stood there silently for a few minutes and he held his breath and waited.

"Rick." She whispered so softly that Daryl almost thought he had imagined it.

"What?" He asked.

"Rick, it was Rick. They killed him. The last time I saw him he-" Her voice broke off on a sob and her shoulders began to shake.

He sat the candle on the table and tried to put his arms around her but she pushed him away. He stared at her in shock.

"Don't you fuckin' touch me Daryl," She whispered fiercely. "I've had enough people fucking touching me in the past few weeks that I don't think I can handle any more."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and left the room. Daryl just stood there and stared into the darkness after her. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it hadn't been this. He knew that from the way he had found her she would be shaken, but she was almost a different person altogether. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around that. He fumbled in his pockets for a cigarette and lit it. He took a long drag as he tried to calm himself.

So Rick had been killed. That left Carl, Michonne, Maggie, Judith, and Glenn unaccounted for. At the rate they were going, he wasn't so sure anymore that he _wanted_ to find them.

****AN: I debated a long time over who the dead prisoner would be. I'm sorry that it had to be Rick. My original plan had been to have that be Glenn, but that didn't work for various reasons that I can't go into now. This is a darker fic than I'm used to and there is going to be a lot more to happen before it's all said and done. I hope that you all will continue to hang with me on this journey. I will try not to have such a long wait between chapters next time! Thank you! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

****AN: Short chapter, sorry for that! Got a lot going on today so I'm going to see about updating another fic before I go to sleep tonight! Fingers crossed! I hope you enjoy this little "filler" chapter here. Smut warning!** I'm figuring out some upcoming events for this fic so please bear with me! Thanks for the great reviews for this! I'm glad to hear that you all are enjoying it so much! I hope this chapter doesn't let you down! :)**

**...**

It had been one week since Beth had been wounded and Daryl had stumbled across Carol.

_One week. _

Beth was feeling much better at this point and she was able to get around a lot more freely. Carol, however, was a different story. She didn't complain of any injuries and she had refused both of their offers for help. She still seemed to be in some sort of dark place that neither he nor Beth could reach her completely. Sometimes they would catch a glimpse, and then just as quickly she would withdraw from them.

Daryl was itching to get back out and continue the search. He never liked staying in one place too long and this was making him paranoid. It would be different if it was more secure, but it was just a house. It didn't have any kind of fence or anything. It was only a matter of time before someone stumbled across them like the Governor. Daryl figured it was only a matter of time before they searched this area. They were sitting ducks staying here. Carol was convinced that the Governor would be out looking for her, but yet she wasn't ready to leave. Every time he or Beth brought up the subject of leaving, she would shake her head no. He was at a loss for what to do. He was scared to push her, in case she completely lost it.

He was growing increasingly worried about her. She didn't talk much and all she seemed to want to do was stare out of the window or sleep. She would eat if her or Beth fixed it, but she wouldn't take the initiative herself. He knew that the Governor had not only scarred her physically, but emotionally as well. She hadn't even seemed this bad after losing Sophia and it only made him more worried about all that had been done to her while she had been held prisoner.

Now Carol was sleeping on the couch and he was hiding out in one of the bedrooms down the hall. Last time he had seen Beth she was in the kitchen going over their rations. The food was dwindling. There hadn't been all that much to begin with, but what there had been was pretty much gone. They would either have to move on soon, or starve. Daryl brooded as he stared out of the window that overlooked the street. Sometimes, he really didn't know what they were fighting for anymore. Everything just seemed so pointless. The Governor was still out there and that bothered him. He would like nothing more than to kill him, but he wasn't so sure he could accomplish that. Beth might be of some help, but where would that leave Carol? He couldn't take her back to that place, wherever it was. His main focus was finding the remains of their group. Then they could see about going from there.

The click of the door opening softly behind him had him spinning around tensely. Beth stood there for a few moments and he slowly felt himself relax. They hadn't talked much since he had brought Carol back. He found himself missing her and as she shut the door behind her, he also found himself aroused. This would be the first time they had a minute to themselves it seemed.

She cleared her throat. "Are you okay?" She asked.

He eyed her as she stood there but he didn't respond. She had on a light blue shirt that she had found in one of the closets and a pair of jeans that seemed to hug every curve on her body. She must have noticed the change in him because she bit her lip as her eyes darkened. He turned from the window and crossed to her. Grabbing her roughly by the arms, he pressed his lips to hers. She yielded to him immediately and he deepened the kiss. It was like striking a match to oil. The room was alive with energy and need.

...

Beth gasped as Daryl grabbed her close for a deep kiss. After spending all of their moments together alone for months, having Carol with them for a week felt foreign. They had been careful not to do or say anything in front of her, for fear of setting her back. They were hoping she might come around soon. She was in a very dark place and neither of them were quite sure how to handle that.

Daryl's lips trailed across her throat and she shivered and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Where's Carol?" He mumbled against her neck.

"Asleep." She whispered as little shivers broke out across her skin from his mouth.

He walked her backwards until her back hit the wall and then he took off his weapons and set them aside. "Take off yer pants for me." He said softly.

She obliged as he unzipped his and she watched him pull out a condom and slide it on. She knew that they couldn't risk taking off all of their clothes in case Carol woke up or something happened. She also understood the need to be with him. She was almost shaking with her urgency. He slid his hands up under her shirt, being careful not to graze the area where she had been wounded. She tilted her head back as his hands carressed her breasts. She slid her hands underneath his shirt to slide across the muscles of his chest. He growled deep in his throat and he lifted her against the wall. He brought her back down onto the length of him and they both had to bite back groans at the friction. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he glided into her as her back was pressed against the wall. The feel of him sliding in and out of her was almost too much to handle. She felt him raise her shirt and then his mouth was hot and wet on her nipple and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She ran her hands through his hair and felt herself building to her release. She was surprised at how quickly it was happening. They hadn't even touched very much and already she felt on the verge of exploding. She watched him through half-closed eyes. His eyes were completely shut and his brows were drawn together as he pumped into her. He must have felt her watching him, because he opened his eyes suddenly and stared back at her.

That was all it took and she felt herself spiraling out of control. She vaguely heard him grunting and then somehow they both ended up on the floor, panting heavily. She wasn't sure if it was the excitement of trying to be secretive about it or something else, but it had been explosive. She lay there for a few minutes and tried to catch her breath while Daryl fixed his jeans and lit up a cigarette. She fixed her shirt and found her pants and put them back on. She sat down next to him on the floor with a sigh. She was surprised when she felt his arm slide around her. She savored the moment and leaned against him.

"That...was great." She smiled to herself as she relived it over in her mind.

She looked up and saw a half smile on his face in response. "Yeah," he replied. "It was."


	21. Chapter 21

****An: Alright, here it is. Sorry that some of you thought I had abandoned it. I haven't. It's just hard to switch back over to the mindset that I need to be in to write these chapters. I try to keep the fic going in the same mood/tone. I hope I have done this chapter justice, and again sorry for the wait. This one may take me longer to get the chapters out, but rest assured I won't give up on it. I appreciate all the concerned pm's and reviews I have gotten about this fic. I am completely awed that you all think so much of it! I hope I can continue to live up to your expectations! With that being said, the next chapter may be a while. Again, I'm sorry, but I hope you enjoy this one! Thanks!**

**...**

"We need to move on. We're out of food. Like completely out." Beth said.

Daryl sighed. "I know. I'll go talk to 'er." He was referring to Carol, who was once again seated across the room, staring out of the window.

He wasn't looking forward to having to talk with her. Every time he tried, she would either ignore him or say something so out of character for her, that he would wish he had kept quiet. He almost felt like they were letting her down in a way. Maybe they weren't saying the right things to help her, but damn if Daryl knew what those things were.

They had stayed in the house as long as they possibly could, but now it was time to move on. He hadn't seen any sign of the Governor or his men, and he went out twice a day to scan the area. It made him uneasy to say the least. He knew the man had to still be out there and they were a target just sitting in one place. He walked over to sit down next to her by the window.

"We gotta leave." He said. There was no sense in beating around the bush. She glanced at him and then resumed staring out of the window.

"He's out there." She said softly.

Daryl knew who she was talking about, but there wasn't a whole lot to be done about it right now. He wished there was a way to bring back the Carol that they remembered. The Governor had taken the Carol they had all cared about and turned her into some other person he didn't recognize.

Daryl chewed on his thumb. "We outta food. We don't have a choice. We either leave or we starve." He insisted.

She finally turned to face him. She studied him for several minutes and her eyes flicked over to Beth who was watching them from across the room. "Fine." She replied.

Daryl let out a breath. That went easier than he had anticipated. He glanced over at Beth and nodded and she went to gather their things. Daryl stood but then stopped as Carol grabbed his arm.

"I know." She spoke so softly Daryl wasn't sure that he had heard her correctly.

"Ya know what?" He asked.

She stood up to face him, but didn't let go of his arm. "I know you're fucking her Daryl. You don't have to sneak around and hide it from me like I'm gonna break. You better keep a close eye on her because if they catch her, they'll fuck her over more than you ever _thought_ about doing." She let go of his arm abruptly and walked away, leaving him standing there with a bewildered expression on his face.

...

Beth adjusted her pack on her shoulders as they walked. It was growing uncomfortable and she wasn't sure if it was because they had been in one place for a week or because her body was still slightly sore. She noticed that as they made their way through the trees, that Carol kept shooting glances her way. She wasn't sure how to handle this new Carol. The old Carol had been a good friend to her and she missed that. She hoped that she could find her way back to her old self.

Then there was the fact that Rick was dead. It still didn't seem real to her. Rick had been their leader. He had seemed invincible at times and her heart ached for Judith and Carl. It was likely that Carl didn't even know that his dad was dead and she had no idea whether or not Judith was even alive. She sighed wearily and suppressed all her thoughts down like she had gotten used to doing. There was no use dwelling on it, people died and you had to learn to suck it up and move on. If the apocalypse had taught her anything, it was that life held no guarantees. You might be here today, but just as quickly you could be gone by tomorrow.

They had been trudging through the woods for what felt like hours now, only stopping a couple of times to drink some water and eat the few remaining crackers she had. It wasn't enough, but they needed to keep pushing to get further and she knew that Daryl was trying to pick back up on Carl's trail.

Her heart ached for him. She knew he was carrying a heavy load right now and not physically, but emotionally. She knew Rick had become a good friend to him and now they had found out that he was gone. He hadn't said much to her about it other than to let her know that Carol had told him. They hadn't connected much at all lately and the pressure to eliminate the Governor and find their group was becoming overwhelming. She only hoped that they could find something today to give them hope.

Finally, he slowed down and she and Carol came to a stop behind him. He was staring down at something on the ground and she walked forward to peer around him. Bright red blood droplets scattered the ground and veered off out of the woods. She followed Daryl's gaze and then he turned to stare at her a minute.

"We gotta check this out." He whispered.

She inhaled sharply and then nodded. She knew they needed to, but she really dreaded seeing what that trail would lead to. She and Carol followed closely behind him as he tracked the blood out of the woods and into the backyard of a random house. As soon as they emerged, Daryl tensed and she immediately knew why. They could hear the sounds of what sounded like a good sized herd. There was no mistaking the snarling and raspy groans of walkers.

...

Daryl motioned them back against the barn and peeked around the side to survey the yard. He counted about seven walkers surrounding a wooden fence that bordered between two houses. The walkers were busy trying to get to whatever was on the other side of the fence. The fence was shaking slightly with the weight of the walkers as they tried to find a way through to food. Daryl wanted to know what was over there. He turned back to the two women.

"We got seven walkers tryna get over a wood fence. Somethin' on tha other side's got 'em riled up." Daryl whispered.

Beth held her knife steady in front of her and her expression was one of determination. "We can handle it." She said.

Daryl nodded and looked to Carol. "Can ya stay here an' keep watch?" He asked.

Carol shrugged. "Go." She said.

Daryl whipped around the corner first and trained his bow on the walker closest to the fence, but before he could fire the walker jerked and slid down the fence in a slump. He frowned, but focused on another instead. If he could get the shots out fast enough, Beth wouldn't need to jump in. He fired out three arrows that hit their marks and sent the walkers down into a pile of rotted flesh. He lined up the fourth shot by the fence, but the walker again dropped before he could take the shot. He exchanged a look with Beth. Beth ran up to a stray and drove her knife through its skull with a sickening squish. The last walker received an arrow through the eye and it landed near the others. It was deathly quiet and Daryl kept his bow trained on the fence in front of them. He wasn't taking any chances. He signaled to Beth and they split to flank the fence on the sides. Daryl silently stood to the end of the fence and grabbed a rock from the ground. Hefting it in his hands he threw it at the fence above where the walkers lay tangled in a heap. Seconds after it hit, a blade shot out of a hole that he hadn't noticed before and sliced at the air. He met Beth's wide eyes from across the yard. He snuck a glance at Carol who he could see was peeking around the edge of the barn.

He had a dilemma. They could either announce their presence or try to find another way inside that fence. Judging from the deadly look of that blade, Daryl figured it might be best to bluff a bit. He didn't hear any movements from the other side, so it was possible that the unknown person was alone.

"Hey! We know ya in there, an' we got ya surrounded. Ya best not make any sudden movements, so come on out real slow like an' show yerself." He said loudly. He was met with an eerie silence and then a slight shuffling. He backed away farther from the fence carefully, his eyes narrowing.

"Dixon?" A voice called out after a few moments.

"How tha hell do ya know who I am?" He asked gruffly. He was trying to place the voice as someone he knew but it wasn't clicking in his mind.

Suddenly a black jean clad leg swung its way over the top of the fence and then a familiar face surrounded by dreads popped up and she dropped over rather tiredly. He couldn't believe it and a small grin split his face at the sight. It was such a relief to find another member alive that he almost needed to sit a minute as different emotions waged a war within him.

"Michonne?" Beth asked in disbelief as she began to walk over.

Michonne whipped around with her katana, and then when she saw Beth she seemed to relax. "God, am I glad to see someone familiar. Is everyone with you?" Michonne asked them.

"Not everyone." Beth said softly, her eyes downcast.

Daryl looked towards the barn where Carol was hiding. "Carol, its safe now. Come see who we found." He called.

Carol edged her way around the building cautiously and then stopped as she saw Michonne. She seemed to be regarding her carefully, but then she continued to make her way over.

"Carol. You're alive." Michonne said. Daryl wondered about her phrasing of that statement, but he remained quiet.

Carol nodded as she stared at Michonne. "You're bleeding." She pointed out.

Michonne glanced down at her stomach then shrugged. "It's just a surface wound. I'll live. The walkers must have caught a whiff and they were on me before I knew what was happening."

"You alone?" Daryl asked.

Michonne nodded. "I am. I was with Rick at one time...We got separated. I haven't seen him since."

Daryl looked down at his feet. _Why did he always feel like they were constantly bringing bad news to everyone?_

Before he could say anything though, Carol did it for him. "He's dead. The Governor killed him. He left him alive and he killed _me,_" She paused and sucked in a breath. Beth made a move to comfort her, but Michonne stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Why would he do that? What use would I have been? Nobody cares about me, but everyone loves Rick. He had to know that no one would come for _me_." She sucked in a breath as if she had been holding it all in for so long that it had just come tumbling out before she could stop it.

Daryl let out a breath. He didn't know she had felt that way. He _would_ have saved her. He had _tried._ It was Michonne who took over and Daryl almost sighed with relief.

Michonne grabbed Carol's hand and waited until their eyes met. "It takes a strong woman to survive what you have. The Governor killed Rick because he's a heartless bastard and he knew that Rick was a formidable opponent. What he didn't take into consideration was that you could be as well because somehow you made it out of there," Michonne paused for a beat before continuing. "We all care about you Carol. Like Rick has told us time and again, we are family. We've spilled blood together. Whatever happened to you out there, you've got to go deep within yourself and find the will to _live_. There's a reason you made it this far. Don't let him win."


	22. Chapter 22

****AN: Alright, it's been forever, and I mean _forever _since I've updated I know. I'm sorry. I truly have no excuses. The muse refused and I mean _refused_ to work with me on this one. For some reason tonight though, it was there and I took advantage of it. Actually, I've gotten a chapter out for each of my fics today so I'm quite proud of myself at the moment! I don't have much to offer you here, but I'm hoping any little bit at this point is an improvement over my silence for the past few weeks...So, here you go. Enjoy! Please let me know if you're still with me. I'll understand if you've jumped ship. LOL :)**

...

Beth stood there in stone silence as Michonne basically told Carol to suck it up. Carol seemed as shocked as everyone else and she nodded slightly as Michonne finished her speech, but she didn't say anything.

Michonne grabbed her stomach and winced a little. "Come on. We need to get out of the open. Too many places for things to hide. Follow me, I know a place."

Beth exchanged a glance with Daryl and fell into line behind Michonne, with Carol behind her, and Daryl taking up the rear. They weaved in and out of several backyards, only running into one lone walker which Michonne took care of rather easily considering she was wounded. They finally stopped several houses down underneath a large tree.

Michonne turned to Daryl. "Normally I could do this on my own. But considering my stomach is on fire, I'm going to need a boost." She said.

"A boost ta _what_?" Daryl asked.

Michonne pointed up and all of their heads swiveled to glance up into the tree. Sitting beautifully camouflaged amongst the branches, sat a decent sized treehouse. Beth smiled at Michonne who regarded them intently.

"What a genius idea!" She exclaimed.

"Yes. It's awesome and all that. Now could we get on with it please? I need to lie down a few minutes." Michonne said.

Daryl shouldered his crossbow and laced his hands together to provide a step for Michonne to boost herself from. They watched as she boosted herself up enough to grab hold of a branch and she proceeded to cross upwards using several other branches as stepping stones. As she reached the top, she pushed open a door and then looked down at them.

"The branches should hold if you go one at a time. I'll help you up once you get to the top if you need it." She called down.

Beth looked over at Carol. "You go ahead Carol. We'll be right behind you."

Daryl once again threaded his hands together and Carol stepped up into them and made a grab for the branch closest to her. She swung there for a few minutes and both Daryl and Beth began to think she didn't have the strength to pull herself up, but she finally managed and began to slowly climb between the branches. Michonne stuck a hand out of the house and helped her inside.

Daryl looked over at Beth. "Your turn. Need a boost?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I'll try it first and see."

He stood back and scanned the area while she jumped as high as possible. She was rewarded with the feel of her hand hitting the branch and she grabbed on tight and rocked herself gently until she was able to pull up. She stood still for several minutes as she tried to regain her balance. She grinned down at Daryl. "Piece of cake." She taunted.

He snorted as she kept going to the top. Michonne stuck out a hand and Beth reluctantly let herself be pulled inside. She glanced back down at Daryl as she finally made it into the house.

"I don't know how you did this more than once Michonne." She commented.

Michonne gave her a small smile. "You can do a lot of things if you are desperate enough." Beth saw that Carol's eyes shot over to Michonne. Beth moved away from the hole as Daryl climbed inside the house by himself. Of course _he_ didn't need help. Michonne wouldn't have either had she not been wounded like she was.

Beth finally took in the treehouse. It was simple and quite empty, save for a duffle bag and a sleeping bag in the corner that she assumed belonged to Michonne. She watched as Michonne lay down on the sleeping bag and pulled her shirt back from the wound. She hissed as her shirt stuck to the dried blood and made the wound start bleeding again.

Carol was the one who crawled over to her before she or Daryl could move. She leaned over Michonne and peered down at the wound. After squinting at it for a few minutes she met Michonne's gaze.

"I need something to clean it with and needle and thread. You need stitches." Carol said simply.

Beth exchanged a glance with Daryl who shrugged. Apparently Carol was snapping out of her insanity a small bit. Michonne nodded at a duffle bag in the corner.

"I've got some rubbing alcohol and a needle and thread in my pack if someone can get it." She replied.

Beth scrambled over to the bag before anyone else could and dug through the contents until she found what she was looking for. "This is going to burn a little." Carol said to Michonne.

"Just do it." Michonne replied. Beth saw that she clenched her hands into fists by her sides. They watched as Carol poured some of the alcohol into the wound and dabbed at it with a clean cloth. She grabbed up the needle and thread and then turned to Daryl.

"I need you to sterilize this needle for me with your lighter." She commanded. Daryl dug around in his pockets until he produced his lighter which he flicked until the flame danced over the needle, sterilizing it the best way that they could given their circumstances. Carol threaded the needle and then proceeded to sew Michonne's wound back together. Michonne hissed in a breath and bit down on her lip as Carol tried to sew as fast and as straight as she could. When she was done, Michonne drew in a ragged breath and Beth saw that her face was noticeably paler.

"We need ta eat somethin'. Ya got food in here Michonne?" Daryl spoke up from his corner.

Michonne shook her head softly. "Couple of granola bars, that's it. Everything else is gone. I was out looking earlier for food. It's pretty picked over around here." She said softly.

"I guess I need ta go huntin' then." He looked at Beth. "Comin'?"

Beth nodded. "Okay."

...

Daryl helped Beth down from the tree and they made their way into the woods. He really needed to get away from there. The tiny space seemed to be closing in on him and as he watched Beth walking next to him, he began to need her in a bad way. They walked together in silence for a bit and Daryl scoped out the area for signs of wildlife and walkers. He didn't see signs of any which didn't make him feel any better about the possibility of dinner. He was frustrated and he only knew one way to take out his frustrations.

Grabbing Beth by the arm he spun her around until her back hit the tree in front of him. She looked up at him startled until she read the fire in his eyes.

"Here?" She whispered.

Daryl nodded. "Here." He pressed himself against her and his lips descended onto hers like liquid heat. He pushed her shirt up with his hands and gently caressed her while his mouth worked hers with a passion that he couldn't quite explain. He broke away momentarily to glance around and then he was back, grinding himself against her. His hands went to the buttons on her pants and she fumbled with his as well. It was pure animal need, nothing more.

"Gotta make this quick." He whispered between kisses.

She nodded against his lips and he pushed her pants down to her ankles as he freed himself from his pants. He reached into his pocket and brought out a condom that he had been saving for moments just as these. He slipped it on and she pushed her pants all of the way off so that she could wrap her legs around him. He braced one hand against the tree and the other he wrapped around her back to keep her from being scratched by the bark of the tree as much as possible. She moaned into his mouth as he slid into her in one quick thrust. She dipped her head back and his mouth closed onto her nipple and sucked rather forcefully, causing her to bite her lip to keep from moaning. He could feel himself riding the edge but he was trying to hold off and wait until he felt her release. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips there, sucking on his flesh. He groaned and said a silent prayer as she bucked around him. Her face relaxed as she rode out her orgasm. He let himself go moments later, groaning into her neck as he pumped inside of her. Casting another glance around them, he slid to the ground with her. They were both panting hard from their exertions. She pulled herself from him slowly and he cleaned himself up a bit while she got her clothes back situated.

He lit a cigarette and she watched him silently. They both broke out into a grin at the same time.

"Feel better?" She asked.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. You?" She nodded. He smirked and shouldered his bow. "Let's go find us some fuckin' dinner then."


	23. Chapter 23

****AN: Okay, I've got some of my feels for this story back now. We're continuing on down our dark little path here. You all should already know by now that there is violence in this story but I shall say it again just in case. ****Violence Warning: There will be upcoming scenes of graphic violence/mentions of rape/assault so if this isn't your cup of tea, why are you still here?**** I'm thrilled that some of you are still hanging with me. If you're lurking about and still reading, please leave me a review and let me know. It honestly makes a world of difference to me! I appreciate all those who have favorited/followed/reviewed/pmed this fic. I'm sorry it's taking me so long to get back on the wagon. I have to get myself into a whole other mindset to write this stuff and it's only going to get worse from here on out. I can't promise you better, but I can promise you action. I hope you'll hang with me! Thanks! :)**

**...**

It had been two weeks since they had found Michonne. They had moved on from the treehouse as soon as Michonne had been able to move around easier. The treehouse was great in theory, but it just wasn't ideal for four people to live in. They had taken shelter at another house in one of the many surrounding neighborhoods. It was a smaller house and they had pulled together to board the windows and scour the area for supplies. There was a creek nearby where they frequently went to get water for bathing and cooking. There had been signs of others in the area, but they had no way of knowing if it was anyone from their group or not. Occasionally they would come across empty food cans that Daryl determined to still be fresh. They had decided together that they would remain in the area and see if they would run up with Carl or hopefully others from the group. It seemed as if they were always a few steps behind whoever it was. Carol seemed to be slowly returning to her normal self and it was almost starting to feel like they had a group again. Michonne spent a lot of time with her and Beth could tell that it seemed to be helping. She wasn't sure how to approach Carol herself anymore, fearing that Carol would be angry with her still over her relationship with Daryl. To her surprise, Carol talked to her almost as if earlier events hadn't happened.

She and Daryl hadn't had time to themselves since their rendevous in the woods a couple of weeks ago. She was yearning for his touch and some time alone with him and she could tell he was as well. He had been shooting her glances all day and it made her stomach flutter just thinking about it. They had had a profitable run earlier today. Daryl and Michonne had stumbled upon a good bit of food for them in one of the houses. Apparently it had been skipped over when people had begun to scavenge the area. This was good news for them as their food supply had dwindled to almost nothing. Daryl hunted whenever he could, but he hated to go too far in case he was needed. Finding Michonne had been a blessing. Not only was it a relief to know that there were possibly more group survivors, but Michonne was an excellent fighter and she knew it took some of the stress off of Daryl.

It had been a long day and now everyone was winding down as the evening approached. They all slept in the living room of the house to prevent being split up in case of an emergency. It was just safer to stay close to each other at this point. No one argued that because it was comforting to know that they weren't alone. Beth eyed Daryl from across the room. She had an idea and she hoped he would figure it out and follow along so that they could have a moment to themselves. He was different now that it wasn't just the two of them. He had withdrawn from her slightly and it hurt her, but she knew he had his reasons.

She stood up, drawing the attention of Michonne and Carol, who were lying on their makeshift beds on the floor. "I'm going to go get some water. I think I could really use a bath. Anyone need anything while I'm out?" She asked.

Michonne looked up at her curiously. "You shouldn't go alone. One of us can go with you."

Beth shook her head. "It's okay. It's not dark yet. I've got my knife so I should be fine. Daryl can wait for me on the porch and if I need help I'll call for him." She glanced at Daryl whose eyes darkened. He had apparently read her thoughts.

He slowly stood up. "Alright."

She grinned and gathered up the bucket they kept by the door while making sure her knife was in its place at her waist. Daryl followed her out onto the porch and grabbed her hand before she could walk down the steps. She turned back to him.

"I'll be behind ya in a few minutes. I'm gonna smoke. Ya stay close so I can hear ya, got it?" His eyes glittered in the fading light of the day.

She nodded. "I'll be fine. Hurry up though. Don't keep me waiting." She teased. She felt his eyes following her as she walked down the steps. She entered the wooded area that concealed the creek that ran along the backside of the houses with anticipation.

...

Beth hummed softly to herself as she set the bucket down and sat on top of it to wait for Daryl. She was in a particularly good mood since they had found all that food earlier. They had all eaten a little more than they should have, but they had been so hungry it had been hard to stop. It was amazing how having a full belly could improve your mood. Now to top off her day, she was going to get to spend some time alone with Daryl. It wasn't the ideal situation out in the woods, but these days you took what you could get. They had managed last time just fine so she figured they would make it work again.

She didn't have to wait long until she heard his footsteps behind her. He wasn't being as quiet as usual and she smiled at his eagerness. She spun around on her bucket and flashed a smile. "What took you so-" Her words were cut off at the sight of the barrel of a gun pointed at her head.

"One noise and I'll shoot you dead. Don't give me a reason honey." The man in front of her threatened. She heard the audible click of the safety being switched off. Her heart thudded in her chest. _Where was Daryl? Had something happened? How did this person know she was here?_ Her mind raced as she sought out a possible escape. The man must have read her thoughts and his eyes flashed as he brought the butt of the gun down swiftly against her head. She felt the world around her sway as her vision blurred and she slipped into pitch blackness.

...

Daryl thumped out his cigarette and made his way down the steps. He hadn't heard any sounds from Beth and he knew she would be getting anxious waiting on him. He was anxious too. He had thought of nothing all day except her kisses and being able to wrap her in his arms. He knew that Michonne and Carol probably knew about their relationship by now, but Daryl wasn't one to flaunt it in front of anyone. He still insisted that they sneak around to be intimate. Except they hadn't had time to do that lately and he missed it.

He smiled to himself as he made his way down to the creek where she was waiting for him. What he really wanted was to find the rest of their group and settle into a more permanent location where they wouldn't have to sneak off like this. Maybe they could room together or something. He immediately grew more alert as he came to the edge of the creek and saw the overturned bucket but no Beth. His senses on high alert, he scanned the banks, searching for a glimpse of her blonde hair. His pulse began to jump as he saw nothing but trees and darkness. Kneeling by the bucket, he saw the footprints that scattered the ground. Their were two sets of prints and he figured the smaller set to belong to Beth. He studied the other set and determined they had to be human prints, not walker prints. The prints trailed down to the creek and faded into the water's edge, so it definitely hadn't been a walker. Beth was more than capable to taking out one walker on her own. Making his way across the chilly creek, he studied the bank on the other side. He found no sign of any prints and he tried to tone down his rising panic. She couldn't have gotten far.

He glanced down the creek. Whoever had her must have traveled down the creek to throw off being tracked. He cursed. The only weapon he had on him was his knife. His bow was back at the house. He was torn between taking off down the creek or going back to alert the others. Then he started wondering if the others were okay. _What if this was some kind of trap or ambush?_ He groaned and took off at a jog back towards the house. He couldn't just leave without checking on the others and letting them know what was going on. This had the stench of the Governor all over it. If that was indeed the case, there was the possibility that Daryl might not make it back.

One thing was for certain: he was getting Beth back at any cost. He would die to save her if he had too, he had no doubts about it. Thoughts of Carol caused his heart to pound so hard he thought it might explode out of his chest. He tried not to think of what they would do to Beth if they had done that to Carol. He jogged towards their house. He could only hope she would hang in there long enough for him to find her. He wouldn't consider the alternative.

...

Beth opened her eyes slowly. She blinked a few times, reaching a hand up to touch her head lightly. She winced at the knot there. Looking around, she realized she was in a tiny room barely big enough to hold the ratty cot that she was lying on. A single bulb hung from the ceiling, casting off a soft glow around the room. There was a horrible stench that engulfed the room that she couldn't identify. She sat up slowly and tried to take in the situation. She felt her clothes and found that as expected, she was missing her knife. She tried to stand but she got dizzy and had to sit down quickly.

The door opened and a tall man entered, one eye covered with an eye patch. That sinking feeling in her stomach increased and her heart started pounding. She had heard enough about the Governor to know that she was indeed being held captive by him now. The man who was entering the room was the same man who had almost killed Carol. He _had_ killed Rick. He shut the door behind him and smiled as he walked over to her. She met his eyes, refusing to back down in the slightest. She had to be strong now more than ever before even though she was shaking inside. She had to be strong long enough for Daryl to come for her. The Governor's smile was friendly but she knew better. Beneath that smile was a man who was incapable of feeling.

"Well, you're not who I expected. I expected the redneck, but I suppose you'll do. I hear you're his woman so that means he'll be searching for you. We'll get him when he does and my revenge will be even sweeter." The Governor said. Beth swallowed but didn't reply. He stepped closer and reached out to firmly grasp her chin. She tried not to wince at his pinching grip.

"What's the matter dear? Cat got your tongue?" He asked.

"Fuck you." Beth hissed. She hadn't come this far to die. If Carol could go through all that she had and pull out of it, so could she. She wasn't going to just curl up and die.

"We might just have to arrange that. You're a lot prettier than the other. I bet you taste real sweet too." His finger grazed her cheek and she slapped it away angrily. His eyes narrowed. "You've got some fire in you too. I'm going to enjoy breaking you." His hand shot out and connected with her cheek hard. She tasted blood on her lip. He grabbed her chin again and forced her to meet his gaze.

"Make no mistake. You _will _break. Just like the others. I _own_ you now."


	24. Chapter 24

****AN: So, here we go. Moving on. That last chapter was just a taste of what is to come. Here's a little more of a taste for you. Remember my warning. This chapter is all from Beth's POV, but don't worry; we'll be back to Daryl and the others next chapter. I felt it necessary to leave this its own chapter since it's so heavy. I hope you enjoy it.**

**...**

Beth wasn't sure how long she had been locked up in the room they were holding her in. The Governor hadn't been back to see her since his initial threat and she was sitting on pins and needles, waiting for the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before he came back. She knew he wouldn't wait long. Someone had opened the door long enough to shove some kind of disgusting food in her direction. She had merely glanced at it. She wasn't about to eat anything that man gave her unless it was in an unopened package. She knew he wasn't above poisoning her. She leaned against the wall and drew her legs up to her chest. She had moved to the floor. The cot had a molded smell to it and there were several unidentifiable stains on it. She didn't even want to _think_ about how those stains had gotten there. She sat there for a long time, trying to think of a way to get out of this. She had no way of even knowing how far away the man had taken her to get here. The last thing she recalled was being hit with the force of the gun and then waking up here in this hole.

She sighed and rested her arms on her legs, creating a cradle for her to lay her head on. She was pretty sure she wasn't the only living creature in this room. Several times she had already heard the scurrying of some rodent or bug around her. She suppressed a shiver. As long as they stayed away from her, she would be fine. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to remain calm. The last thing she needed right now was to start panicking. Maybe if she was lucky, they would leave her alone long enough for Daryl to get to her.

That thought was quickly shot down as the door creaked open once more and the Governor made another appearance. He seemed to be in an especially good mood and for some reason that made her more nervous. She worried for the reason behind that good mood but she wasn't going to ask. The more she kept quiet, the better off she figured she would be. Her eyes shot over to the door as a Hispanic man entered behind the Governor. She shifted nervously and tried not to let it show. The man pulled the door shut behind them firmly and Beth heard a click that she assumed was the lock. The Hispanic man's eyes met hers briefly and she thought she saw an ounce of sympathy but when she blinked it was gone. He stood next to the Governor with his hands behind his back. She remained in her position on the floor against the wall. She wasn't sure what to expect.

"I've given this quite a bit of thought before coming to a decision on what to do with you. I'm sure, given time to think about the alternatives, you'll come to appreciate the consideration I am going to bestow upon you." The Governor said. He smiled again as if they were having some sort of friendly conversation. Her eyes followed his movements as he walked back and forth across the tiny room. He came to a stop in front of her. "Still not talking are we?" He asked.

She remained still and continued watching him warily. He waited until she realized that he wouldn't proceed until she acknowledged him in some sort of way. "What do you want?" She finally asked.

The Governor glanced at his companion and she saw some sort of silent communication pass between them. The man just nodded and turned to the door to knock. The door opened seconds later and the man stepped out, leaving her alone with the Governor. He was silent for a few more minutes before speaking again.

"You have two options here so decide carefully. Option one," he turned to flash her a smile, "is that you can become mine. You'll please me sexually as I see fit and in return you will be rewarded with my protection. You won't be hurt beyond an occasional punishment if you fail to please me." He paused a moment to let it sink in. "Option two is that if decide not to choose option one, another member of your group dies." He began to pace back and forth again. "Let me just say before you choose that you are being offered something that has _never_ been offered to anyone else _ever. _You should consider yourself lucky. There are several men here wanting to get their fill of you, but they won't get that chance if you are mine. I don't share."

Beth was horrified. Beyond horrified actually. He was looking at her as if he seriously actually expected her to be grateful that he was offering her this. Her mind scrambled for another option, another solution to this problem. If it was simply her death as the other option, she wouldn't hesitate. This was different. This was the death of another. Someone from their group. _Did that_ _mean he had captured another member of their group? Was that why he was in such a good mood?_ Her stomach knotted and she would have thrown up, had there been any food in her empty stomach to spew forth. She sensed him watching her, his grin still in place.

She had never wanted to kill a person more than she wanted to kill this man. _Could she actually subject herself sexually to this man?_ She knew the answer to that question. She couldn't. _What was she supposed to tell him?_

"No." The word burst forth from her lips viciously.

The Governor raised a brow, but didn't seem too concerned. "So you're willing to risk your sister's life over something as trivial as sex? Who knows? You might even enjoy it."

At the mention of Maggie, Beth went on high alert. She stood up and felt her chin quiver slightly. There was no way this bastard had Maggie. _But did she call his bluff? _"What have you done to my sister?" She gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Ah, there's that fire again. The better question here is what _will_ I do to her if you don't accept my offer? Are you willing to risk it? Or are you so cold-hearted that you don't care whether she lives or dies?"

_This wasn't happening. This was just some sort of nightmare and she would wake up any minute now next to Daryl feeling silly. _She closed her eyes and tried to will herself to wake up from this, but she knew deep down it wasn't a nightmare. She felt his fingers then, sliding along the tops of her breasts through her t-shirt.

"What is it going to be my sweet?" His voice whispered against her ear.

She sent a silent prayer up to God. She didn't know if he still existed, but she was willing to try anything. She could only hope that Daryl would burst in that door at any minute and shoot the Governor dead. Except she knew this wasn't some movie where you usually got your happy ending, this was real life. And in real life, you didn't always have Daryl bursting through doors to save you.

His cold fingers brushed over her neck and she flinched. Forcing her eyes open, she stared into the cold depths of the Governor's eyes. He stared back, that knowing grin already forming across his face. He hadn't even really touched her, yet he had already hurt her more than anyone else ever had. She swallowed back the bile in her throat.

"Fine. I'll do it. But you let my sister go."


	25. Chapter 25

****AN: I know I'm bombarding this story with lots of short chapters, but they just keep pouring out of me! I don't have a lot of time to proofread this one, so I'm hoping you'll forgive me for any errors you might encounter. I'm not sure right at this moment how far I will let this go with the Governor and Beth yet. I'm hoping that you all will give me some input. Would you like more of the Governor's torture? Surely, you don't want Daryl to just rush right in and save her before we get into his twisted head just a little? Let me know. I'm anxious to hear it. Thanks for the reviews so far. It helps! Smiley faces just don't seem appropriate so I'll simply leave you here to read. Thanks.**

**...**

After checking to make sure that Michonne and Carol were okay, Daryl took off in search of Beth. He refused to let either woman come with him. He knew Carol wouldn't be able to handle it and he wouldn't risk leaving her alone. There was simply no other way but for him to do this on his own. He was adding this to the Governor's list of debts that Daryl owed him. He fully intended to collect. He wasn't going back until he did. His face a stoney mask, he trudged down the creek looking for any signs that whoever had come this way had stepped out. A walker along the bank of the creek turned towards him as he made his way through the clear water. It paused at the creek's edge, seeming to actually be deciding whether or not it was worth the effort to get to Daryl. Daryl aimed his bow and fired, hitting the walker dead between the eyes. He barely came to a stop as he passed and stuck his hand out to yank the arrow out before continuing on. He was a man on a mission and God forbid anything or anyone stand in his way.

...

The Hispanic guy, who Beth had found out was named Martinez had been the one to come for her later that day. He bonded her wrists together with a zip tie and stuck a pillowcase over her head before leading her out like she was nothing more than a dog. Surprisingly his touch hadn't been rough like she had expected. It had almost seemed gentle as he had come to tell her that it her living quarters were being upgraded to the luxury suite. She hadn't thought that his joke was funny at all and she had merely looked at him in response.

She felt herself being turned this way and that and finally she was given a little push into what she assumed was a room where she heard the door click closed behind her. She stood deathly still in the same spot until the shield was lifted from her head. The Governor reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife which he used to slice through her binds easily.

"I'm cutting these off Elizabeth. Don't make me regret it." He warned.

No one had called her Elizabeth since her mother had passed. The name brought back memories of her mother and she struggled to retain her composure. She would _not_ fall apart right now. She rubbed her wrists gently, trying to get the circulation flowing again. The Governor turned from her and she surveyed the room. She was standing in a small living room area and she peered to her left to see a small kitchen. She saw a closed door to her right and she figured that had to be a bedroom. She turned back to the Governor who was pouring some sort of amber liquid into two small glasses.

"Where is my sister? I'm here for your deal. You said you would let her go if I chose you." Beth demanded.

The Governor paused and then chuckled. "Actually I said nothing of the sort. You came to that assumption all on your own." He offered her a glass of the amber liquid and she ignored it.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

The Governor sat her glass down on a small table and sipped at his. He smacked his lips together and let out a sigh. "I merely said no one would _die_ if you chose me as an option. I never said anything about letting anyone go. She'll survive, but only if you play nice." He sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs that occupied the space. He gestured to the chair just across from him. "Have a seat."

"I'd rather stand." She said.

He frowned. "You're failing at your promise already Elizabeth." He tsked.

"I never _promised _you anything." She retorted.

He regarded her over the rim of his glass. "If that's how you feel then I'll summon my men. Let them have a turn at your sister before they kill her." He shrugged and moved to stand.

Beth gritted her teeth. _God she hated this man!_ "No! I'll play nice. Leave her alone, _please_." She sat down in the chair he had nodded to earlier and he eased back into his chair, watching her warily.

He gestured to the drink. "Drink up."

She picked up the glass and hesitantly sniffed at the liquid. It smelled strong and her stomach recoiled a bit from the smell. It smelled almost like the liquor her daddy used to drink before he became sober. She held the glass tightly in her hands. "How do I know you really have my sister?" She asked softly.

The Governor raised a brow and crossed one leg over the other. There was the hint of a smile upon his face. "I guess you'll just have to take my word for it, won't you? After all, I'm taking you at _your_ word that you will play nice. Tit for tat, am I right?" He asked. His smile disappeared.

"Drink up." He ordered.

...

Daryl cursed as he came to a dead end on the trail he had followed out of the creek. He knew he had been played. Someone had led him down this path but it was a dead end. It led back to the streets and then faded out. His hands shook as he tried to force his breathing to slow so that he could concentrate. He had to calm himself down from this rampage so that he could focus on finding Beth. The bastard was trying to fuck with his emotions, he just knew it. He narrowed his eyes and turned around to go back the way he had come.

_The shit was going to hit the fan real soon. _

_Real soon._

...

Beth grimaced as the liquid burned its way down her throat and into her belly. The only good thing to come of it was that her hands were no longer shaking. The liquor had steadied them considerably. She was also feeling a bit more courageous. She wasn't sure if it was from the liquor or the fact that she was trying to make herself not care.

She had to do this. She wouldn't take the chance at risking her sister. She had no way of knowing if Maggie was really here, but she knew he would never show her. He had her where he wanted her. She was stuck. The only person that could save her now was Daryl.

The Governor stood up from his chair, drawing her attention. He crossed over to her and took the glass from her hands and returned it to its position on a table by the window. She sat stiffly as he walked back over to her slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. He reached to grab her hand and he tugged her up and against him. She swallowed as he pressed her against him. She could feel his erection pressing against her. It disgusted her and she felt herself trembling despite her courage moments ago. _This was not Daryl. _This was absurd and she suddenly didn't know how she would be able to hold it together for Maggie. She prayed that her sister remained safe wherever she was.

His hand reached around the back of her head to cup her nape. She realized that he intended to kiss her. Frozen in place, she couldn't move as his lips descended down to hers. At the first touch of his slimy lips against hers, she pulled her head back and covered her mouth with her hand. He shoved her forcefully away and she turned in search of a bucket or some kind of trash can to throw up into. She finally saw a flower pot and tossed out the plastic flowers, shoving her head as close to the hole as she could get. She puked up the amber liquid. It burned almost as much coming back up her throat as it had going down. When she had heaved up all that her body could muster, she turned back towards him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

He was angry, that much she could tell. "Take your clothes off and go get into bed. I'll join you shortly." He gestured towards one of the closed doors that she had seen upon entering the room. She nodded slowly and turned to enter the room. "Elizabeth?" She turned briefly but couldn't meet his gaze. "Do make sure you are _naked; _is that understood? Because if I find one stitch of clothing on you, you _will_ regret it." He said firmly.

She nodded. Turning back to the door, she grasped the knob in her pale hand and turned.


	26. Chapter 26

****AN: Wow! This one got even more intense! Sometimes my mind just gets away from me. When I get excited about it, I get into a zone and I start typing as fast as possible to keep up with my brain! Whew, LOL! I am thoroughly pleased by all of the reviews I have gotten! I appreciate all of you so much! You spurred me on to get this chapter out so I hope it delivers for you. Again, please forgive any errors, I'm only human and just excited to get this out before the muse leaves me! Drop me a line and let me know! Thanks for reading!**

**...**

"Fuckin' damn it all to hell!" Daryl roared.

He had just headed down the fourth trail to find that it circled right back to the creek. His emotions were starting to get to him. He was letting himself get worked up and he wasn't concentrating like he should. He stopped at the creek and tried to regroup. He reached into his pocket to pull out cigarette He lit it with shaky hands and inhaled the nicotine as far into his lungs as it would go. The longer he searched and the more he was lead astray by false trails, the more his rage consumed him. He was hoping the cigarette would calm his nerves a bit and clear his head enough to get back into the game like he should. That's all it was to the Governor anyway - _a game_.

He paused in the middle of taking another drag off of the cigarette as he spotted something moving in the woods. He squinted his eyes and took a closer look. It definitely wasn't a walker, he could tell by the way they moved. Snuffing his cigarette out, he crouched down low and continued to watch the figure. It appeared to be a man, but he couldn't make out much more than that. They were looking down at the ground at something and apparently hadn't spotted him over here beside the creek. Keeping low to the ground, he circled around so that he could take the man by surprise.

...

Beth paced the small room a long time before she finally shed herself of her clothes. She had no idea when or if the Governor would be back and she didn't want to risk setting him off. She stripped the sheet from the bed and wrapped it around herself twice before tucking it in at the top. _Technically_ it wasn't clothing, but she knew she was playing with fire. It had been a long time since the Governor had sent her in this room. She didn't know if he had left the apartment or if he was still in there somewhere, biding his time before coming to her.

She wasn't so sure he had Maggie hostage. She wasn't so sure he _didn't_ either. Either way, she had no choice but to comply to his wishes. If there was even the slightest chance he had Maggie, she would never forgive herself for not doing everything she could to keep her safe. If the situations were reversed, there was no doubt in her mind that Maggie would do the same for her. She could tell it was growing late by the fading light from around the window. She couldn't make out much because the window was boarded, but she could see light through the cracks between the boards.

Her heart sank a little. She knew by now that Daryl had to have been searching for her. It had been almost 24 hours. At least she thought it had. She knew it had been dark when she had went to the creek to meet Daryl and now it appeared to be right at dusk. She must have been out longer than she thought from that blow to her head. Her stomach growled and she realized that she was starving. It had been a long time since she had eaten. She sat down on the edge of the bed and took in her surroundings again. She had searched the room for something to use as a weapon earlier, but there had been nothing. Someone had obviously thought ahead and a prior sweep for weapons had already been made. She jumped as she heard footsteps outside of the door. She scrambled across the bed and climbed underneath the blankets, still wrapped up in the sheet. She closed her eyes and tried to feign sleep as the door opened.

There was another click of the door and then silence. Finally, she heard footsteps walking across the floor. They paused right next to the bed and she fought the urge to open her eyes. It took everything she had to pretend to be sleeping and she could only hope that he bought it. Not that she really thought it would matter. He would have no problem waking her up if he wanted. She could feel his eyes on her. Finally he walked away and the footsteps sounded as if he walked to the other side of the bed. Listening carefully, she heard the zip and slide as he took off his clothing. The blankets were lifted and he eased himself underneath them. She felt his hand reach for her and when it encountered the sheet, he paused. She held her breath. _This was it. He would surely kill her for doing this._

To her surprise she heard him chuckle softly. She held herself rigidly as she waited. He moved around in the bed and minutes later she felt his hands back on the sheet and he tugged on it hard so that she was unrolled from it. His eyes were glazed as if he had been drinking or maybe he was just crazy; she couldn't tell. He sawed through the sheet and pushed it away from her. She tried to roll away but he grabbed her around the waist and yanked her back towards him.

"No, no. I want to get a good look at my merchandise." He growled.

His grip tightened painfully around her waist and his fingers dug into her hips. She cried out and he laughed. She could smell the strong stench of alcohol on his breath when he laughed. He must have been drinking. This was even worse than she thought. He was already crazy enough without adding alcohol to the mix. She kept herself still as he took one hand and trailed it down her body. He stopped at her breasts and pinched her nipple hard. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain. As his hand trailed lower towards her body's core, she felt the first few tears spill out. His fingers fluttered lightly over the hair there and he scooted closer until she felt his erection jabbing her in her side.

She tried to envision Daryl's face to block out what he was doing. She pictured how he would smile at her when it had just been the two of them. She remembered how long it had taken her to get him to really even talk to her at all. She felt the Governor's finger slide into her and she whimpered in fear. Sniffling back her tears, she tried to focus on the last time she had been with Daryl in the woods and the way he had been rough, yet gentle all at the same time. She felt him remove his finger and she almost sighed in relief before he rose up and clumsily positioned himself over her. Clenching her legs together in fear, she closed her eyes again. He wrenched her legs apart and without warning thrust inside of her. She bit her fist as the tears flowed freely from her eyes. He was heavy over her and she could barely draw a deep breath because he wasn't holding himself up. He buried his face into her neck and then he stopped moving. She could still feel him inside of her, but he hadn't made any more movements. She shifted slightly and tried to lift up on his shoulder. He snorted and then began snoring against her neck. He had passed out on top of her. Now she was forced to lay there with him naked on top of her, his dick still somewhat inside of her.

...

As Daryl made his way up behind the man, he realized that he looked familiar. Raising his crossbow, he pointed it at the back of the man's head. The man stiffened.

"One fuckin' wrong move an' yer dead fucker. Now turn 'round nice an' slow." Daryl said coldly. The man held up his hands and slowly turned to face Daryl. They both wore surprised expressions as they stared into familiar faces. "Tha fuck you doin' here?" Daryl demanded.

Martinez shrugged and glanced around slowly before looking back at Daryl. "You've got to get out of here man." He whispered.

Daryl narrowed his eyes in confusion. He pointed the bow more firmly at Martinez's forehead. "What tha _fuck_ ya talkin' 'bout?" Daryl growled.

"It was a set-up." Martinez said softly.

Daryl wasn't sure he had heard the man correctly. _Did he just say set-up? Did he miss something here?_ He eyed Martinez coldly as he tried to access the situation. He heard the crack of a stick behind him and turned around just in time to stare down the barrel of a pistol.

...

Beth wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep exactly. Her chest was hurting from the crushing weight of the man passed out on top of her. She woke up some time later to a knock on the door. She struggled again to get out from underneath the Governor but her results were futile. He did begin to stir and finally he seemed to come to enough to realize that someone was at his door. Pushing himself off of her, he grabbed a towel from a nearby chair and wrapped it around his waist. He opened the bedroom door and exited to through the living room as Beth scrambled for the blankets. She recognized the voice of Martinez and another man she wasn't familiar with. She couldn't make out what was being said but the voices began to travel closer until the Governor walked back into the room. He wasn't alone. Martinez entered and then a big brawny black man who was holding onto something. The Governor was watching her as Martinez stepped out of the way and she gasped as she realized the man was holding onto someone else. Someone who had a pillowcase over his head and was cursing in a voice that was _very _familiar to her.

She watched in horror as the Governor nodded at the black man and he ripped the case from over their prisoner's head. "Son of a bitch! One eyed prick!" Daryl's voice rang out over the room and then he calmed down slightly as he appeared to take in the situation. He turned his head towards her and their eyes met. He seemed to slump in relief to see her alive and then he began struggling with a renewed energy as his eyes blazed over her in the bed. He turned back to the Governor who was still standing in nothing but a towel smiling.

"Oh and before you ask, I shall tell you," The Governor bent so that they were almost nose to nose. "She's a little hellcat in the sack. She made it real easy for me. She was so tight and wet." He whispered.

Daryl's face went pale and he struggled against the two men who were now having a hard time restraining him. He thrust his face at the Governor. "You sick fuck! Did ya fuckin' rape her? So help me God I'll k-" Daryl's voice was silenced as the man holding him hit him in the head with a heavy object. His body went slack and he slumped into their arms.

The Governor chuckled. "Take him out of here and lock him up. I've got plans for him later. Maybe Elizabeth and I can put on a little show for him." He excused the two men and shut the door before turning back around to Beth. "Get dressed. Someone will bring you food shortly. Don't even think about trying to leave. I've got this place heavily guarded." He picked up his clothing and quickly got dressed. She remained in the bed as he crossed over to her and gripped her chin to give her a swift kiss on the lips. She kept her mouth tightly closed and he only smiled at her resistance. Moments later he was gone.

Only then did she fully break down and cry.


	27. Chapter 27

****AN**************** Okay, so a few things before we get to our chapter. First off, the last chapter got a little intense and I lost a couple of readers according to my reviews. For that I apologize. I've placed multiple warnings and _please_ keep those in mind as we continue. I also would like to say that I don't condone rape nor do I get a sick twisted pleasure reading about it. It was simply a part to this story that I deemed necessary. Rape is a very sensitive subject and not one that should be taken lightly. (Hence why I only went as far as I did with Beth/Governor) I know some of you probably thought I wouldn't go that far, and I apologize if you were thrown by it. This is a dark fic; I've said that from day one. We are nearing the end of this fic, and as usual for me, I'm not exactly sure if that means we have 3 more chapters or 10. It all depends on the muse. (I doubt it will be 10 though) For those of you who are enjoying this fic and left me reviews saying so, I appreciate it. If it weren't for those positive ones, I might not continue. Upon rereading my last chapter, I _knew_ I had pushed the envelope, but I published it anyway. I anticipated losing some people, but I wasn't sure how many (if any) would continue reading. I know sometimes the graphic scenes are hard or a turn-off for people. I get that. For the few that wrote to me that you can't read anymore, there are no hard feelings and I appreciate you sticking around for this long. :) I do believe I've even shocked a really good friend of mine who also writes fanfic last night. She read my story and was completely horrified. LOL. So yea, it's not for everyone and I get that. If you have to leave the fic, I won't hold it against you. _For the rest of you_: Enjoy the ride. We've come this far, so I'm going to see it through to the end. I will still appreciate any and all reviews I can get. If you feel the need to scream at me or whatever it takes to make you feel better, feel free to do so. :) Thanks so much.************************

*****The same violence/graphic scene warnings apply from here on out*****

**...**

Daryl came to slowly. His head was throbbing so hard, he felt like he had the world's worst hangover. His hands were bound above his head and his feet barely grazed the floor. He didn't know what emotion he was feeling more at the moment: disgust or rage. He was disgusted because he had allowed himself to be lured into a trap. He was pissed because he wanted the Governor to die. That was the only way they would be ever be safe. The Governor had to be eliminated.

Daryl Dixon wasn't scared of a lot of things. He was scared now though. He was scared that he might not get Beth out of there. Failure was not something a Dixon took lightly. When he had seen Beth, his first thought had been relief. She had appeared to be alive and well, and then he had taken in the whole scene. She had been naked underneath those blankets in the Governor's bed. That had been a crushing blow for him. Daryl had never felt anger so great in his entire life than at that moment. The Governor had tried to insinuate that Beth had enjoyed it, but Daryl knew better. She had been ten shades of pale in that bed. If there hadn't been two people holding him, he would have gotten away and ripped the man's throat out. Daryl had never felt more prone to violence than he had at that moment.

The door opened and the Governor himself strode in. Daryl watched him, his face carefully blank. The Governor crossed over to him and stopped so that he was just in front of him.

"How are you liking your new accommodations?" He asked. Daryl kept his mouth shut and continued to stare. "So, you're going to take the route that your little girlfriend did, huh? We'll just have to get you to open up more. Maybe I can bring her in for some torture."

Daryl cursed. "What tha hell do ya want? Ya got me so jus' let 'er go! Ya don't need 'er!" He jerked against his bonds angrily.

The Governor chuckled. "So. He speaks," His smile went away and his face grew serious again. "How many of your group are left?"

"None of yer fuckin' business." He spat. He didn't have an exact answer anyway, but he would be damned if he would volunteer any information to the Governor. He could only imagine what Michonne and Carol would think. He was comforted briefly by the fact that at least they wouldn't be left entirely alone out there. They would have each other to see them through.

"That's what I thought you might say. You know, I'm becoming quite taken with Elizabeth. I think I shall keep her purely for _entertainment_ value." The Governor watched Daryl's face carefully but Daryl didn't so much as flinch. He crossed behind him and then Daryl heard his voice at his ear. "I had a good time with your little girlfriend last night, but I'm not real sure she's my taste. You've ruined her. She did enjoy it though. She enjoyed herself _multiple_ times." He whispered.

Daryl smirked. He knew it was a lie, but it still pissed him off. "Funny...I didn't know they made condoms that small." The Governor's face grew angry and he reared back and spit in Daryl's face. Daryl jerked against his bonds roughly. His hands were tied so tightly that it was cutting off his circulation so he couldn't move more than an inch. He could feel it ripping his skin. "Fuckin' bastard." Daryl muttered. "I'm goin' ta enjoy killin' ya."

He chuckled and crossed the room to the door to knock sharply. The door swung open and then Martinez led Beth inside before exiting the room again. Beth's hands weren't tied and he was grateful to see that other than a bruise on her cheek, she appeared to be fine. Her eyes met his and she looked panicked. He wished that he could soothe her, but he couldn't.

"I'm fine." He offered when he saw her worried expression.

She nodded, but she still looked ready to faint at any moment. "I love you." She blurted. He closed his eyes briefly at that admission. He wasn't worthy of her love. He hadn't been able to save her. As hard as he had tried, he had failed. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but now wasn't the time. He couldn't say all of those things in front of the Governor.

"Well, well, isn't that sweet?" The Governor drawled. He snapped his fingers suddenly. "I've got an idea! Let's test that love, shall we? After all, we both know she could be lying, right? I mean, wasn't she in _my_ bed last night?" He reached out and gripped Beth's arm painfully, causing her to cry out.

"Hey, why dont'cha come over 'ere an' pick on someone yer own size? You fuckin' coward!" Daryl taunted. He would say anything to get the man away from Beth. The Governor crossed over to the door and opened it. He said something to someone that Daryl couldn't hear and then he came back inside.

"Why don't I give you two a few moments alone, hm? I'll be along in a little while to check on you." He smiled and exited the room.

...

As soon as the door was shut, Beth rushed over to Daryl. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head upon his shoulder. He leaned his head towards her in an attempt to hug her back, but that was the most that he could do given the circumstances. Hot tears streaked her face as she leaned into the comfort of his body. She had missed him so much. She still felt so dirty from the night before. She hadn't even been able to clean herself.

"Hey now, none o' that. Come on, it's alright." Daryl said. "Jesus, look what he did to ya."

"I'm s...so s...sorry." Her breath hitched in between sobs. She sniffled and wiped at her tears with her hands. She pulled back to look up at his ropes. She was too short to reach them to do anything. She had no idea what they were going to do. She stared down at her feet.

"Look at me." Daryl demanded. Slowly, she raised her eyes to his. "He ain't gonna get away with this. I'll figure somethin' out. I need ya ta keep it together fer me, okay?"

She placed her hands on his chest and nodded softly. She could feel the pounding of his heart through his t-shirt. "I meant what I said." She whispered.

Daryl tensed. "What?"

"That I love you."

He closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again. "I..-" His voice was cut off as the door was opened once again and instead of the Governor entering this time, a walker was pushed into the room. The door was slammed shut behind it and they could hear the click of the lock sliding into place. Beth's pulse raced. They had no weapons and Daryl was basically hanging bait. _How was she going to protect them with no weapon?_ Frantically she looked over at Daryl. His face was creased in concentration and worry.

"What do we do?" She whispered.

The walker, having apparently sniffed out a food source, was making its way over to them intently. Beth glanced around the room again as Daryl struggled against his ties to no avail. She could see the blood trickling down his arms as he tore at the skin in an effort to break free. Beth did the only thing she could think of to do. She crossed to the other side of the room away from Daryl and shouted at the walker, making it turn towards her and away from him. As soon as it drew close, she ducked and ran to the other side of the room, repeating the process to buy them some time. She had never killed a walker with her bare hands, and she wasn't exactly sure that she could.

"Daryl?" She whispered, her voice laced with worry.

"Jus' keep distractin' him. I'm try'na think." He said.

The only problem with that is that she didn't know how much longer she would be able to effectively distract it. Eventually the walker might get bored trying to work so hard for its meal and decide to go for an easier target. She spun away from it again as it ran into the corner she had just vacated. She turned quickly and kicked it as hard as she could in the back of the legs. It fell against the wall a little and it seemed to slow it down some but it still turned around and came stumbling back after her again.

"Lead it over 'ere, as close as ya can get it." Daryl said suddenly.

She snuck a glance at him while keeping an eye on the walker. "What are you going to do?"

"Jus' give me a push an' get out tha way." He muttered. The blood from his hands had run down to pool around his neck so it wasn't hard to get the walker to move in his direction. Confused as to his plan, she pushed Daryl and set him swinging by his hands a little. She winced as the blood began to trickle more freely from his hands. He didn't seem to pay it any attention though so she tried not to dwell on it. He pumped his legs to keep himself moving until he swung up high enough that one of his legs managed to hook around the walkers neck. She could hear his heavy breathing as he brought his other leg up quickly and tightened his legs around the walker. He quickly twisted his body and she heard the disgusting sounds of its neck breaking. The walker landed with a thud onto the floor and she ran over to Daryl to help stabilize his body that was still swinging from his momentum. A quick glance at his hands showed there was even more blood and his skin was raw around the ropes in places.

"Damn. I didn't know if that was gon' work." He huffed.

She bent over to check his legs. "Are you hurt? Did it bite you?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I don't think so. I ain't give it enough time ta bite me. Fucker tried though." She took off her shirt and used it to quickly mop up the excess blood from his neck and around his face. "What tha fuck ya doin'? Put that shirt back on 'fore he comes back in here!" He growled.

She flushed and put her shirt back on. "Sorry." She muttered.

He sighed and she saw him shift against the ropes again. "Ain't yer fault. Listen...when he comes back in 'ere...whatever he does ta me. I mean..." His voice trailed off and he looked torn.

She placed her hand gently against his cheek. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything that you're not ready for." She pressed her forehead against his, comforted by the familiar warmth and scent of his body. "I'm not going to let him kill you and I'm not leaving without you so if that's what you were going to say, then don't. Because I won't listen," She paused to take a deep breath. "I love you, Daryl. I think I've loved you from day one and I'll stay and fight alongside you until I have nothing left."

...

****AN: I always feel like I leave it on a cliffhanger. But then again, I've got to have something to bring you all back, right? For all those who read my other fics, I'm going to be stuck onto this one for a bit until I get it out, so I'm not abandoning the others! It's rather hard to switch gears into a lighter mode and then back into this mode. So while the muse is with me, I'm going to ride it out! Thanks for hanging with me! :)**


	28. Chapter 28

****AN: Hello again! I would like to take this time to thank everyone for the really sweet reviews for the last chapter. The support was overwhelming! I appreciate those who haven't reviewed taking a moment to let me know that they were still here and that they wanted to read more. You don't know what that meant to me! I worked hard to get this one out for you. It may not happen like this tomorrow with two chapters in one day, but I'll do my best. I'm working out some details coming up and I want to make sure it will work. (You should see my page of scribbled notes) I'm really trying to make up for how much I've neglected this fic in the past month. I'm loving how it's coming together now and even though it's dark, I'm really digging it! Of course, my opinion may be biased slightly. ;) Anyway, I just wanted to take the time to thank you all. I didn't get to respond to you all personally, but I read and smiled over each and every one of the reviews. Thank you so much, honestly. Enjoy!**

**...**

Daryl listened to her profess her love for him. He didn't really understand how she could love someone as broken as him, but she claimed it was so, so he was inclined to believe her. She hadn't lied to him so far and he had no reason to believe that she would lie now. He stared at her for a few moments, the scene around him momentarily forgotten. Her hair was disheveled and there was a smear of blood on her cheek. He was pretty sure it had come from him. Her shirt was soaked with his blood, so much so that it was hard to discern the actual color that it once was. All in all, he imagined she _looked_ worse than he did just from her trying to take care of him. He wondered how she was holding up on the inside though. He wanted to ask more about what had occurred between her and the Governor, but he wasn't sure if he should. He was almost scared to find out. He had his theories on what might have happened though and those would haunt him for many nights he was sure.

He tried to wiggle his hands around again but the ropes just weren't giving at all. He couldn't really feel his hands anymore and his arms ached from their position above his head. He was getting tired of holding himself up, that much he knew. Beth was staring down at her feet silently when he glanced at her. She was only an inch or two in front of him. He wished his hands were free so that he could touch her.

"Ya remember all that stuff I showed ya?" He asked suddenly. Her head snapped up and her eyes met his. She nodded. "Good. If tha shit hits tha fan, ya haul yer ass outta here. Use whatever force necessary to take anyone who stands in your way down. Promise me." He demanded.

She looked away from him. "No. I told you I wouldn't leave you."

He wanted to shake her, to make her listen. He didn't want her to stick around for him if she found a way out. It made absolutely no sense to him why she would risk herself like that. "Damn it Beth." He said through gritted teeth.

She did look at him then and he could tell she was slightly angry. "You didn't leave me at the prison."

He cocked his head, not sure if he had heard correctly. "What?"

"You didn't leave me. You could have left me at the prison when the Governor attacked. You had an out," she shrugged, "You could have left, but you grabbed me and pulled me along. I'm not leaving you. So quit asking."

Daryl was speechless. He didn't think he could have left without her. _Could he?_ She seemed to see so much more to him than he had ever seen. He had never had anyone stick by his side like she had. Hell, even Merle hadn't been so loyal and he was his brother. Despite all that she had been through, she was still managing to hang in there. He admired her ability to keep it together right now. Granted, she had had a few crying episodes, but she was only human so that was to be expected.

"Hey," She swung her gaze back to him. "Thanks." He said. She finally cracked a half smile and kissed him softly on the lips. Their brief interlude was short lived, however, as the door opened yet again and the Governor made another appearance.

...

The Governor paused just inside the doorway and surveyed the walker that lay in a heap on the floor. He raised an eyebrow as he stepped all the way inside, a man Beth had never seen before following him. The Governor made his way past Daryl and stopped in front of her.

"It seems I've underestimated you, my pet." He said softly. He reached out a hand to touch her chin and she jerked just out of his reach. "Getting brave, are we? You kill one walker and think you can tangle with _me_?" The Governor scoffed.

"She ain't killed it. Was me." Daryl said.

The Governor turned towards Daryl with a look of surprise. He studied Daryl for a few moments before speaking again. "I guess we'll just have to make this harder for you then. It's time to up the stakes. Let's have some fun, shall we?" He turned to her and before she could guess his intent he backed her up roughly against the wall. She let her eyes meet Daryl's briefly and she saw the flash of anger reflected there.

The other man that had entered with the Governor made his way over next to Daryl and simply stood there. She saw that Daryl kept one eye carefully trained on the man while still managing to watch her with the Governor. The Governor grabbed her hair and yanked her head back and lowered his lips to hers. He forced his tongue into her mouth so hard that she almost gagged. His other free hand reached down to cup her between her legs and she jerked herself back roughly, her chest heaving. The Governor laughed. He glanced back at the other man and nodded. The man pulled out a gun and pointed it at Daryl. Beth tried to make a run for Daryl but the Governor caught her and held her back.

He bent down to whisper in her ear, but still loudly enough that everyone could hear. "You fight me and I shoot him. Is that what you want?" She swallowed hard, her eyes on Daryl. She slowly shook her head no. "Are you going to play nice or is my man here going to have to start shooting various body parts on your boyfriend over there?" He hissed.

Daryl shook his head at her, but she nodded at the Governor. She wouldn't have Daryl shot. This was nothing. She could handle it. It was just a body; it wasn't her mind. "I'll play nice." She said through gritted teeth.

"Wise choice Elizabeth." The Governor replied.

He bent his head to suckle on her neck. She stood there limply, her eyes locked onto Daryl. She tried to imagine that it was him touching her instead of the Governor. He yanked her shirt and bra up, exposing her breasts. He cast a glance at Daryl and smiled before bending to take her nipple into his mouth. Beth saw Daryl jerk and he growled slightly. She softly shook her head at him. She didn't care what the Governor did anymore. As long as they were both still alive and she got her chance to kill him. She had decided that s_he_ would be the one to kill him. The more he tormented her and Daryl, the more she was looking forward to it. So it was with these thoughts that she was able to block out the Governor's touch. She could sense the Governor's growing frustrations at the lack of response he was getting. Angrily, he stood back and backhanded her across the cheek. She was careful not to make a sound and again she focused on Daryl. The Governor narrowed his eyes and stepped back from her. He began to unhook his belt and unzip his pants.

"Fuckin' piece o' shit! Ya can't get ya own women, so ya gotta force 'em?" Daryl taunted.

The Governor merely scowled and turned to the man who still had the gun trained on Daryl. "I think we need to teach this man a lesson. Shoot him in the leg." He said casually. The gun was fired before Beth could even try to intervene or react. Daryl's face clenched in pain and she saw him begin to bleed, a bloody gash appearing in his leg. His face was growing pale and he struggled to hold his head up and maintain eye contact with her, but after a few minutes he finally managed to drag his head up to look at her. "Shall we try again?" The Governor asked.

"No!" She shouted. "I'll do whatever you want." She replied calmly. Her mind was working out options. She prayed she would be able to get them out of this. It was up to her now. She tried to smile at the Governor. It didn't quite reach her eyes, but she managed a small one. She reached with shaky hands up to his neck and pulled him down to her. He seemed startled at first, but then his eyes darkened and he pressed his lips to hers. She tried to fight off the gagging feelings as she kissed him. It was completely awful. She ran her hands up and down his sides and she could feel his erection pressing into her. When his lips moved down to her neck she caught Daryl's tormented gaze. She silently pleaded with her eyes for him to understand.

They were interrupted with a sharp rap on the door. The Governor pulled away from her with a growl and fixed his clothes before stalking over to the door.

"This better be good!" He growled. There were muted whispers from the other side of the door and the Governor stepped partially outside. A few seconds later he looked inside and gestured at the man who had shot Daryl. "We've got a situation." He said simply and the man followed him outside without so much as a backwards glance at them. They heard the click of the lock and then they were alone again.

She adjusted her clothes quickly and went running over to Daryl. His paleness worried her. He was losing a lot of blood. She reached behind her and pulled out the knife that she had swiped from the Governor during her attempts to distract him. Daryl's eyes flashed briefly at the sight of it before he closed his eyes and moaned softly. She tilted up his head slightly and his eyes fluttered a minute before focusing weakly on her again.

"Don't you die on me. I'm going to get us the fuck out of here even if I have to carry you on my back." His eyes began to glaze and she shook him slightly, fearful that he might pass out and not wake up. "You hear me Dixon? I'm not leaving without you so get it through that thick ass skull of yours."


	29. Chapter 29

****AN: Here we go. The beginning of the end. More notes to follow.**

**...**

He watched from his hiding spot in the trees as the Governor went to investigate the walker that he had led into their fences. The walker was put down by one of the men easily and he watched as the Governor appeared to be in a heated conversation with some of his men.

Carl smiled.

Their distraction had worked perfectly. He had had plenty of time to to sneak into the camp and climb into the tree that would afford him the best view. They had been watching the Governor for quite some time now. It had been purely an accident that Carl had stumbled onto the Governor's location one day. He had been out hunting, trying to remember how he had seen Daryl do it. It had been a rabbit that he had been chasing for some time, his mouth watering, and he had run it almost into view of the camp. Carl had hid amongst the trees and watched until he had been sure it was the Governor.

He had a nice set-up even Carl had to admit. The Governor had found himself a townhouse that had been converted into small apartments. There were several small buildings surrounding the townhouse and then a fence that circled everything. Carl had been trying to keep a tally of the amount of men the Governor had. So far if his count was correct, the Governor had about thirty people in his camp. Carl had everything mapped out in his head. He had had plenty of time to study the camp. They had wanted to make sure everything was perfect before they made their way inside to get to their group. Carl knew the Governor had someone prisoner, but he wasn't sure who. The only glimpse he had had of a prisoner had been a couple of days ago when he had seen someone with a bag over their head being led across the grounds. He was hoping there were more than just the one survivor from their group there.

He still hadn't found his dad and he didn't even know if he was alive or not. He liked to imagine that he was though. He had always thought his dad to be somewhat invincible. He had come so far and Carl didn't want to think about making it without him. He had spent enough time crying over the possibility though. Crying was for kids, and Carl was no longer a kid. If his dad was gone, then life would go on. He would live this life the best that he could in his dad's honor because that's what his dad would want. It was time to man up. They had plans to execute.

This had been a long time coming and today was the day that the Governor would pay his debts.

Carl was here to collect.

...

Beth was worried about Daryl. He was barely responsive and she could tell he was struggling to hang in there. He needed medical attention and he needed it soon. That bullet would have to come out of his leg. She swallowed hard. She didn't know how much time they had before the Governor came back to continue his sick torture, but she needed to get this done. She looked at Daryl's pale face that was covered in a fine layer of sweat. She was going to have to get this bullet out. If it stayed in there, there was an even greater chance for infection and she couldn't let that happen. There was a reason they had come this far and she wasn't giving up now.

Taking the Governor's knife, she proceeded to cut Daryl's shirt off of him. She used the cleaner areas of his shirt to wipe off the knife as best she could. It wasn't sanitary, but she figured at this point, they didn't have much choice. She might not have another opportunity to get this done.

"I'm going to have to get this bullet out of your leg Daryl." She lifted his face up with her hands so that he was looking at her. It took a few minutes before he seemed to focus on her face again.

He finally nodded. "Do what ya gotta do." He said weakly.

She went back to his shirt and cut off a strip of it. "You can bite down on this. It's not much, but it's all I have." She offered meekly.

His eyes flicked to the strip of t-shirt before coming back to rest on her face. "Jus' do it. I reckon' it ain't tha first time I felt pain."

She nodded and folded the strip over several times before placing it in his mouth between his teeth. She went back to the shirt and cut out two more long strips so that she could tie them around his leg afterwards. Hopefully it would at least slow, if not stop, the bleeding. She tried to remember all those times back at the prison and the farm that she had seen her daddy treat a bullet wound. She really wished she had a way to sterilize the knife, but she didn't. She knelt down by his leg and gently rolled his pants up until the wound was entirely exposed. It was seeping blood and she grimaced at the sight.

"My lighter." Daryl mumbled around the bits of shirt.

She stood up. "You still have it?"

He shrugged as much as he could shrug in that position. "Dunno. Check...pockets."

She dug through each of his pockets excitedly. Her excitement faded, however, when she came up empty-handed. "They must have taken it." She commented.

"One more pocket." He panted. He looked down at the front of his jeans and she frowned, unsure what he was talking about.

"I searched all of your pockets Daryl." She said.

He shook his head. "Small pocket...on left side."

She reached into his left pocket but it was empty. She knelt down a little to try and figure out what he was talking about. Then she saw the small pocket almost hidden above the regular pocket. It was barely big enough to fit the lighter, but it was there. She pulled the lighter out with a smile. Finally something was going their way. She flicked the lighter several times before she was able to get a flame. She held the knife over the flame as long as she could until she felt like she had sterilized it as good as it was going to get. She took a deep breath.

"Ready?" She asked.

She saw Daryl nod slightly. Pressing the tip of the blade just barely into his flesh she tried to dig for the bullet. Daryl moaned above her. She quickly realized that this was going to be a much harder task than she had thought. It had looked so much easier when she had seen her daddy do it. She hated to keep blindly digging around in his leg, but she knew no other way. She knew the bullet hadn't exited the other side because there was no hole, so it had to be in there somewhere. Frustrated, she tossed the knife down.

"I've got to use my fingers. I'm sorry." She didn't give him time to respond as she grimaced and dug her fingers into the flesh of Daryl's leg. He hissed and bucked slightly, but then he was quiet. She dug her fingers into the bloody meat and prayed that she would be able to feel the bullet. She tried to keep from gagging as she encountered bone. She swallowed hard and made herself keep digging. After what seemed like ages but was probably only a few minutes, her fingers encountered something hard that definitely didn't belong in there. Holding it firmly in her fingers, she pulled it out. She let out a deep breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. Now all she had to do was stop the bleeding and wrap his leg enough to hopefully keep any dirt or debri out. She glanced at him as she began wrapping his leg. It was bleeding a little more now, and she hoped she had enough cloth to slow it down. His eyes were closed and his face white. He had probably passed out which was going to pose a problem. If they managed to get out then she would have to carry him, and she wasn't sure she could do that _and_ protect them at the same time.

...

Glenn croutched down low from his hiding spot located a few yards from the Governor's fences. They had planned this carefully, making sure they went over every detail. He had practiced with Carl on their fighting skills as much as one possibly could. He really hoped they could pull this off. Carl seemed convinced that at least part of their group were being held inside of those fences, but Glenn wasn't so sure. He hadn't personally seen any signs of any of them. Carl had claimed to have seen someone once, but he said he couldn't tell what the person looked like. For all they knew, it could have been some random stranger.

Still, they had deemed this mission necessary regardless. The Governor need to be stopped, period. They all had their debts to pay to the man. They owed this to Hershel, Sasha, Tyreese, and whoever else hadn't made it through this mess. He sighed as he waited for Carl's signal.

Everything had changed.

They had worked for months on collecting every available walker that they could come across and stowing them in the back of a U-Haul. The walkers had been Carl's idea. He was using the same idea that the Governor had used on them in one of his earlier attacks of the prison. Seeing as it was just going to be the two of them, they couldn't just waltz in there and take over. They were severely handicapped so that meant they had to even the playing field a bit to give themselves a shot at making it. Carl was keeping an eye out on the activities inside of the fences. He was looking for signs of their group. If the shit hit the fan, they needed to know where to look for survivors before hauling ass out of there. Carl had three smoke bombs. On the toss of the first one, Glenn was to set free the walkers into the hole that he had cut into the fence only hours earlier. The second one was to come minutes later, and the third was in case of emergency only. They had maneuvered the U-Haul close to the fence late one night a couple of days ago. Security had been tight for a bit, but the last couple of days the amount of people on watch had slackened considerably. Glenn wasn't sure what had happened, but it seemed that the Governor was no longer concerned about keeping as close of a watch as before. Either way, it had worked in their favor. They had even taken the pains to camouflage the U-Haul with dark paint and various branches and limbs. Everything had been gone over time and again with a fine toothed comb. They both had their guns as well as knives hidden in various places on their bodies. They were as prepared as they were going to get. From here on out it was just a matter of waiting until the time was right. He shifted slightly and glanced over at the truck. Everything was ready.

And when the time was right, the Governor wasn't going to know what hit him.

Glenn was going to see to that.

...

****AN: So...Carl and Glenn. Interesting. Yes, it's somewhat of a cliffhanger, but with the way I've been updating I figure you'll all forgive me this time. Sorry there's no action yet. That chapter is coming so just hang in there with me. I have a tendency to leave out details that help to set the scene and I want this to be good. So I'll be working on that after I post this. I don't know if it will get posted this evening. It depends on how much time I get to work on it, and how many distractions I have. I have to take breaks every now and again to come up for air and spend time with my family. :) So, let me know what you think so far. Rants, raves, simple one word responses are all welcomed. Thanks!**

****Reader Poll: After this is all said and done, would you all be interested in a an epilogue? If so, do you want it set further in the future or closer to the present time? I'm game for anything. Or if you'd rather it just end here and be done with it, I'm okay with that too. I appreciate your input! :)**


	30. Chapter 30

****AN: And here it is...the long awaited last chapter. This is bittersweet for me. I have enjoyed this fic now that I've gotten back into it and now it's ending. I started this yesterday. I saved it with barely 3,000 words last night. I worked on it for three more hours today and now I'm at 6,544 words. Wow! I didn't realize I had it in me! This is the longest chapter I have written..._ever._ I angonized, plotted, stared, plotted again, deleted, and poured so much into this one chapter and I can only hope that I've done it justice. I've gone over it twice to edit for mistakes, so please forgive me if you find any. I would _love_ to hear your thoughts on it. I have mixed feelings about it, but all in all I think I'm quite satisfied with it. Regardless, I need to post it. I don't know how much more I have in me after this and I did promise it would be out today LOL. I hope that there's a good balance between the dark and the "light" in this chapter. I battled for quite some time over how I was going to let everything play out. So I'll quit my rambling now so that you can get on with reading it. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and final votes on the epilogue. Although after this, the epilogue may take me a day or two if you all decide you want it. So just bear with me. :)**

...

Beth wasn't sure what to do now that she had the bullet out of Daryl's leg and the bleeding almost stopped. She definitely couldn't reach the ropes that were binding his wrists together. She couldn't crawl up him to reach them either, especially since he was currently passed out. She wiped the knife clean and went to the door to listen. She couldn't hear very much from inside the room, but she was pretty sure there wasn't anyone standing guard right now. If there had been a situation, maybe all of the attention was focused elsewhere. She leaned her forehead against the door and sighed. Decisions, decisions. She cast a glance over her shoulder at Daryl's limp form hanging from the ceiling. She was terrified that something was going to happen to him before she could get him medical attention. He had taught her a lot but at the same time, he had been by her side this whole time. When he was with her she felt invincible, like nothing on the earth could touch her. She just knew that he would take care of her so she was a lot more brave. He had become such a comfort to her. Now it was her turn to return the favor.

She could hear the blood pounding in her ears as she searched her brain for anything that would help them. Her gaze fell on the doorknob and she squinted at the lock. She rotated the knife in her hand lightly, her brain working. Finally, she stuck the knife inside of the lock and began trying her best to jiggle it around in hopes that it would open. It had always seemed so easy when others had done it, but she was quickly learning that wasn't always the case. She wrinkled her forehead in concentration as she bent over further to peer at the hole. Her whole body ached and protested her movements as she got down on her knees. She ignored her body's protests.

She refused to give up.

...

Carl cast a glance out towards the woods where he knew that Glenn would be laying low, waiting on his signal. The only problem with that was, Carl wasn't sure when to give the signal. He had a general idea of course, but he kept second guessing himself. He had counted on being able to see more than what was currently going on. Presently, the Governor had gathered most of his men into a tight group and they were having some sort of meeting. He had seen quite a few men pass back and forth with bottles of liquor in their hands earlier. That was good news for them; the more intoxicated the men got, the better Carl and Glenn's chances were of taking over. It had been dark for a bit, but Carl knew they still had a while before morning arrived. This had to happen tonight before morning came. There was no turning back.

He shifted a fraction of an inch in the tree as something to his left caught his attention. He turned his gaze over to find a shadow creeping along one of the smaller buildings on the property that the Governor had exited from earlier. Carl wondered what was in this building. _Why was this man sneaking around?_ He couldn't make out any defining features on the man, but he knew that it wouldn't help if he could have. He wasn't familiar with the Governor and his people like the rest of the group. He knew the Governor because of the last attack at the prison that had broken up their group, but he had no idea who the Governor's men were. Not that it mattered to him. They were all as good as dead in Carl's book.

Nothing would save them now.

...

Beth growled in frustration. She wanted to throw something,_ anything_, to make herself feel better. Her anger was building and she was certain to explode. She just didn't have anywhere or anyone to direct her frustrations on. The doorknob jiggled and she gasped, dropping her knife and scrambling backwards. Heart pounding, she watched the doorknob jiggle again. _The Governor must have returned._ Her gaze fell to the knife that she had dropped. She needed to get it. It was her only weapon and it might be their last chance at freedom. Terrified that she wouldn't make it in time, she darted forward and made a grab for the knife just as the door opened. Not bothering to glance up at the intruder, she snatched at the knife and bounded to her feet, holding the knife erect in front of her. Only then did she look up.

It wasn't the Governor who had entered, but Martinez. Narrowing her eyes, she prepared to fight her way out if necessary. Martinez eyed her warily and then glanced over at Daryl, who was still passed out. He shifted his eyes back to her and they skirted over her briefly. He took a step forward, softly closing the door behind him.

"Don't even think about it. I _won't_ hesitate to kill you. I will _not_ be subjected to any more rape. If you don't believe me, just try me asshole." Beth spoke in the most menacing tone that she could manage.

Martinez held up his hands carefully, slowly trying to take in the situation as it currently was. "Easy chica, no harm intended. I want to help."

Beth studied him warily. She wasn't so sure about this guy. He had been with the Governor this whole time so why should she believe him? She kept her knife aimed in his direction just as Daryl had taught her. She could still hear his words echo in her mind, "_Never let your guard down." _

"Why should I believe _you_?" She asked.

Martinez was silent for a few moments. He glanced at the door and sighed. "Listen, we don't have much time before he comes back in here and then we'll _both_ pay. Can we talk as we go?" He asked.

She flicked her gaze to Daryl. She was torn. She knew time was of the essence in getting Daryl the medical attention that he needed. She groaned. "Fine. Get him down for me. Don't even think about doin' anything stupid either or I swear to you I'll slice you up." As soon as the words left her mouth, she was surprised. She never envisioned herself ever saying anything like that _ever. _

Martinez nodded and began to make his way over to Daryl, but Beth stopped him with a hand on his arm. "I mean it," She hissed. "I'm on the edge here and there's no telling what I'm liable to fuckin' do." His eyes flashed in surprise and then he nodded again. _Hell yes, she was channeling her inner Dixon and she loved it._

She watched carefully as he walked up to Daryl. They quickly found out that he was about an inch too short to reach it as well. He glanced at her. "I'm going to have to boost you up. Hurry, we're wasting time." He urged.

He laced his hands together and made a step for her. She didn't have time to question his motives. She knew he was right when he said that they were wasting time. She would just have to trust him for now. She had no one else and she wouldn't leave Daryl. She stepped onto his hands and balanced herself with a hand on his shoulder as he moved her closer to the rope. She propped one knee on his shoulder and the other she kept on the step as she grabbed the rope. She began sawing vigorously. She tried to ignore the raw places on Daryl's wrist and hands as she worked. Luckily the Governor's knife was sharp and it sliced through the ropes easily. As she got down to the last strand, she knew Daryl would fall down but there was no way around that. She just hoped it didn't hurt him anymore than he was already. The knife sliced through the last strand and indeed Daryl crumpled to the floor like a rock.

Steadying herself on Martinez, she jumped down to the floor. She ran over to Daryl and unwrapped the last bit of rope from his hands, freeing them finally. Martinez moved over next to her and together they lifted Daryl up enough so that she could crawl under one of his arms. He was a lot heavier than she had anticipated and it caught her momentarily off guard, but she quickly recovered. Martinez took the other arm across his shoulder and together they moved toward the exit. They paused just at the door and Martinez listened for a moment.

"When we exit we're going to go to the right. There's a little path there we can follow around to the back of the property. We can find someplace to lay him." He said.

"Why are you helping us?" She asked.

Martinez was silent for several seconds before responding. When he did, he looked up to meet her eyes. "I can't live this life anymore. I've never been into this shit, not like this. He was bad before, but he's so much worse now," He closed his eyes briefly and frowned as if in pain. "I used to have a family. I had a _daughter_...a _wife_. This is not the life for me. I'm done."

Beth looked into his eyes and saw the pain reflected in them. He stared at her openly until she finally nodded. "Let's go." She said.

...

Carl watched as the Governor left the circle of men and began making his way back over to the building that he had exited earlier. Something was going on, that much he could tell. He didn't know what yet, but there was definitely something happening. He knew Glenn was probably getting anxious but he had to be sure. He had to be sure that they didn't put any of their own people in harm's way.

His eyes were once again distracted by the door to that same building opening. He watched in interest as the man who had entered minutes earlier came out again but this time he wasn't alone. He appeared to be helping hold someone up. He squinted and saw another figure on the other side of the one in the middle that looked to be hurt or dead. Crawling forward silently for a better look, he tried to make out a face or anything that he might recognize. They stopped and the man looked around for a few seconds.

It was then that Carl realized that they were sneaking away from something. It was very probable that that something was a s_omeone_, and that someone was the Governor. The Governor who was at that moment making his way towards the building, his stride long and determined. The trio shifted and Carl gasped as he caught a glimpse of very familiar blonde hair.

"_Beth?_" He barely whispered to himself.

This threw him off somewhat and all he could do was stare. He wondered who she was helping to carry. That meant there was at _least one_ of their group being held here. _Why weren't they moving?_ The Governor was coming; he would be there any second now. There appeared to be a problem and he saw the three of them struggling. Torn, Carl reached into his pocket and fingered the smoke bomb. His heart was pounding a fierce rhythm in his chest.

It was now or never. He threw the bomb and watched as the smoke began to rise, instantly providing a cover.

_It was showtime._

...

Glenn was getting worried that Carl was never going to do it. Maybe he had decided to back out at the last minute. They didn't have any way to contact each other if that were the case. They had never discussed the possibility of not going through with it. It had been silently agreed between them that backing down wasn't an option. They were going to fight and they were going to do it with both guns blazing.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't see the smoke start to rise. "Shit!" He hissed as he glanced up and spotted it. Leave it to Carl to do things when he had gotten distracted. _The kid waits for two hours with me alert and ready but the five minutes I let my mind wander, Carl gives the signal. That figures._

Glenn crawled his way over to the U-Haul. He removed the temporary patch he had placed over the fence as a decoy and then unlocked the U-Haul. He rapped on the door a few times to stir the walkers and thrust it open. He pressed himself against the side of the truck out of view and watched as the walkers slowly ambled down the small ramp towards the hole. The sounds of the Governor's men yelling inside of the camp did good to draw them in and Glenn fought back a small grin at this one small victory. He stayed in position for a few more moments just to make sure that they were indeed getting inside before he flew through the woods to his designated point of entrance. He crawled through the hole he had made in the fence for himself and tried to follow the map in his mind of the camp. Carl had thrown the second smoke bomb and the air was so heavy with smoke that it was impossible to see much of anything. Glenn pressed himself against the side of one of the buildings and listened to the yells of several men and the chaotic sound of rapid gunfire. Everything was falling into place.

All they needed now was the Governor's dead body.

...

Beth and Martinez managed to get Daryl out of the building before he shocked the hell out of her by coming alert. He looked at Martinez through narrow eyes and scowled.

"Fuck are you doin' 'ere?" He mumbled.

Martinez smirked. "Saving your sorry ass chico. Miss me?"

Daryl mumbled something that sounded like a curse and she pressed her hand to his forehead. He was burning up. _He must be talking through his fever. _Daryl turned to her at her touch. He stared at her so intently that she was momentarily paralyzed.

"Ya didn't leave me," He murmured. "Ya didn't leave me."

His eyes glazed and then his head lolled back as he passed out again. "Thank goodness." She muttered. Sometimes it was easier to work with Daryl when he couldn't respond. He didn't always like to follow the rules and right now she had plans. Plans that she knew he wouldn't let her execute if he was alert. It was as they were rounding the corner of the building that the first smoke bomb went off. At first she paused and exchanged a look with Martinez because she didn't know what was happening. It was Martinez who looked around before confirming that it had been a smoke bomb.

He eyed her. "That your people?"

She gave him a confused look. "What people?" The only people here were her and Daryl that she knew of. Michonne and Carol were hopefully still back at the house. She realized then that Daryl hadn't mentioned them once since this happened. Not that there had been time for idle chit chat either. She supposed it was possible that Michonne and Carol were lurking around somewhere. She didn't think it was likely that Daryl would have allowed Carol to come with him in her condition though. Daryl would have done this on his own. Chances were, this was someone else.

Martinez didn't respond and instead they pushed forward down the path that he had told her they would follow. It was as they were pushing past the last building that they heard the screams and the distinct groans of walkers. He led her over to a small shed that was partly secluded by trees. It was old and it looked like it hadn't been used in some time, but she figured it would work.

"Help me get him in there." She panted. Daryl was becoming heavy on her shoulders.

Martinez shot her a look. "You're putting him in _there_?" He asked.

"Why not? I can't very well take him with me and I'm not leaving him out here for the walkers."

"Are you crazy? Where are you going to go?" He asked.

She sighed. They were wasting time. "I'm going back in there. I'm going to fucking kill him." She stated simply. She turned and looked down at Daryl. "Now's your chance to redeem yourself. So are you going to help me or not?"

He looked over at the shed and then back at her. He shook his head. "You're crazy, you know that?"

He helped her maneuver Daryl into the shed and they stacked a few loose bricks against the door to keep it from swinging open. It was the best that they could do. She could only hope that it would hold from any stray walker attacks.

...

Carl dropped down from the tree in the midst of the smoke. He had his knife in one hand and his gun easily accessible in the other. He adjusted his sheriff hat and made his way blindly over to where he knew Glenn would be. He kept his knife out and swiped it back and forth as he walked. He listened hard for any walkers that sounded as if they were getting too close. He felt the fingers of one grab at him and he turned sharply, shoving his knife up and into what he hoped was the walker's gut. He felt the wet splatters cover his shoes as the guts spilled out. Mentally trying to calculate the distance from the gut to what he hoped was the head, he swung his knife again. It made contact and he felt his knife sink into rotten flesh. Something squirted onto his neck and he grimaced. He pulled his knife out and aimed slightly higher just in case he hadn't hit the head yet. He was rewarded with a cracking sound as his knife sunk into the walker again. This time he moved slightly and the walker slumped forward to hit the hard ground.

He stepped over it and continued on his journey. He finally came into contact with the building that he hoped Glenn was still waiting for him at. He paused as he rounded the corner. He heard a low whistle, barely audible, sound from a few feet away. That was the signal Glenn had said he would use to communicate with him in the event they got separated and needed to find each other.

"It's me." He whispered. He heard soft footsteps.

"Everything's working so far. I think we've got a good bit down. I don't hear them like I did before." Glenn's voice whispered from a few feet ahead of him.

"I hope so." Carl responded.

_If not, well then at least they had tried, right?_

...

Beth had no idea where she was going. She traveled blindly into the thick fog and squinted to try and see ahead of her. The smoke burned at her eyes a little but she forced them to stay open. She could sense Martinez just behind her. She wondered about him and what he had said, but so far he seemed to be genuine. It didn't mean she trusted him with her life, but she wasn't as panicked about him as before. She treaded carefully, her feet sliding along the hard ground, feeling for any obstacles that might cause her to fall. Shifting around an object slightly, she ran into something hard. Boney fingers grabbed her arm and she heard the growls of the walker. Twisting her arm she tried to stab it in the head, but it didn't fall. There was a slight rush of air behind her and then the walker fell at her feet. Turning, she could just make out Martinez's figure.

"Thanks." She said simply.

He nodded. "No problem."

They continued on, working silently together to take out any strays that happened to cross their path. She could hear groans and the sounds of walkers tearing into the flesh of random people. The smoke had lifted slightly, affording them a view of the ground around their feet. Somehow they ended up next to a building and she could hear shuffling not too far away from them. She readied her knife and they both remained silent as they listened.

Finally she heard voices. "It's time to go in and clear out the rest." The first voice whispered. She stilled. The voice sounded familiar to her.

Then a second voice, "Whatever happens...I'm glad we did this."

"Carl?" She whispered.

Silence. She began to wonder if she made an error when he spoke again. "Beth?"

Making her way forward, she held one hand against the wall as she followed it down. She almost cried in relief when she saw Carl _and_ Glenn standing there. They stared at one another in shock and then the two men scooped her up into a hug that almost took her breath away.

"Is it just you?" Glenn asked.

Beth shook her head. "Daryl's here. He's hurt. I've got him stored in a safe place. Have you found Maggie?" She held her breath, expecting the worst.

Glenn frowned. "What do you mean? Maggie's not _here_."

Beth released her breath quickly, but then frowned in confusion. "She's alive?"

Glenn nodded. "We left her back at our camp with Judith." She felt such an overwhelming rush of relief to hear that. It seemed that the Governor had been lying about lots of things.

"What the hell is _he_ doin' here?" Carl suddenly growled.

Beth had almost forgotten about Martinez. She stepped partially in front of him to ward off any sudden attacks. She knew that Carl could be jumpy sometimes. "He's okay," she glanced at Martinez, "He helped me to save Daryl."

Carl's scowl didn't disappear but he finally nodded. "Fine. One wrong move and he's dead though."

Martinez snorted and Beth shot him a look. She put her hand on Carl's arm. "He saved me from a walker, he's fine." Carl relaxed slightly underneath her hand.

The air had become much clearer since they had discovered each other and now she could make out several things in front of her. Glenn and Carl looked exhausted, but they didn't appear to be injured in any way that she could see.

She turned to Martinez. "Stay here and help them." She said.

Glenn grabbed her arm. "What are you talking about? Where are you going?"

She smiled at him softly before her expression turned serious again. "I'm going back. I'm not stopping until I see his dead body."

"Beth!" Carl protested.

"No, Carl. None of you have any idea of what I've been through, except him," She tilted her head in Martinez's direction, "I _need_ to do this." She whispered.

Glenn released her arm and Carl grudgingly nodded. She tightened the hold on her knife and made her way back around the building, her heart pounding in her chest.

...

Daryl felt like he had been run over by a mack truck. He also couldn't see anything except a small sliver of light. He shifted and then moaned as fire shot through his leg. He didn't know where Beth was or what was even going on at the moment. He dragged himself as best he could over to the light and pushed against the door to peer out. He could make out a fence and then the woods beyond that. There was no sign of anyone anywhere, but someone had to have put him in there. He noticed the bricks that had been propped against the door. It had to have been Beth. That meant she was out there alone somewhere.

"Fuck." He hissed.

He drug himself out of the small shed and peered down at his leg. His pants were torn and soaking wet with what he assumed had to be blood. Grimacing with the effort, he braced himself against the door and pulled up as hard as he could to stand. As soon as he stood he began to sway. He groaned in frustration. He couldn't help Beth if he couldn't even walk. He braced himself on the door, leaning heavily against it. Surprisingly it supported his weight even though it looked like it could break at any given moment. His hands hurt and they kept tingling. All of the sensation hadn't come back to them. At least he _hoped _that it hadn't yet. Raspy groans coming from behind him had him twisting around sharply and he cried out as his leg gave away beneath him. The door splintered underneath the new shift in weight and he went down, bringing the wood with him. The walker's face loomed above him and he tried to roll but his leg wouldn't allow it. This had to be a shitty way to die. Those were his last thoughts as the walker tore into the flesh of Daryl Dixon.

...

Beth tried to slow her rapid pulse as she searched out the Governor. There were lots of bodies, but none of them were the Governor. There was still remnants of smoke in the air but most of it was gone and she could see more clearly the devastation that had come upon the camp. She found it hard to feel sorry for any of them as she stepped over the bodies. She scanned the area, knowing that the Governor hadn't left. If she had learned anything about him at all, it was that he was a coward. He was the type of person that required an army to keep him safe. _Now that his army was gone, where would he go? _An idea came to her.

The Governor would be hiding out somewhere until this was all over.

She made her way into the apartment building, careful to be as silent as possible. She could hear soft movement coming from the dark hallway. Before she could pinpoint the source, a strong arm wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air.

"So you came back for me Elizabeth? How very thoughtful of you." The Governor's voice whispered into her ear.

Her first thought was to panic. She could barely breathe and his grip was strong. She forced her heartrate to slow and made her body relax. She remembered this lesson with Daryl very clearly. He had made her practice it until she had thought she would die. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her foot and slammed it down as hard as she could on top of his. Not pausing, she bit into his arm, tearing out a chunk of his flesh in the process. He howled and she twisted herself out of his grip, her knife in front of her. She could taste the tanginess of his blood in her mouth and she spit out what she was sure were bits of his skin. She walked softly backwards in the darkness, using his heavy breathing to judge where he was.

"You bitch." He spat.

She grinned a little. She knew she had hurt him and she was mildly surprised by how good it had felt. She felt her way along the hall slowly. It was silent in his direction now and she knew he was trying to judge where she was. Closing her eyes, she focused all of her senses on listening for his movements. She could just barely make out the sound of him brushing against the wall. Making her way to the other side of the hallway she tried to keep herself calm. Suddenly he growled and lunged out of the darkness. She braced herself for the impact, but it never happened. He crashed into something else and then yelled in rage. She covered her mouth as she snickered slightly.

"What's the matter? _Cat got your tongue_?" She taunted.

The Governor paused and then chuckled. "Oh you think you're something now, don't you? I've got news for you Elizabeth; you're not going to beat me."

Crawling down low, she made her way over to where she sensed him to be. Slicing out with her knife, she wanted to shout with victory as her knife connected with his leg. Growling, he bent forward and she rolled until she hit the wall. Adrenaline coursing through her, she stood and listened for him again. He wasn't being very quiet anymore and it was easy for her to find him in the darkness. She tried to dive out of the way as she heard him coming, but his hand shot out and he grabbed her shirt, yanking her backwards. He slammed her into the wall, knocking the breath out of her. She rammed her knife into his gut and he howled in pain. He held her to the wall with one hand and yanked out the knife with the other. She heard it hit the wall further down the hallway. She tried to use her method of escape again, but he anticipated her movements and his fist slammed into her cheek before she could execute them. Pain exploded down her jaw and she whimpered slightly. His thumbs pressed into her neck, digging into her windpipe and she gasped for breath.

_This was it. She had come this far and she had failed. Daryl would die in that shed and the Governor would kill her and then the others._

Her lungs were on fire and she was sure that she would pass out from lack of air any minute now. She could feel the Governor's hot breath against her face and she knew that's how she was going to die. Suddenly his body slammed into her and then slid down into a heap on the floor. Dazed, she gasped for air, dragging it into her body in shaky gulps. She saw the dim light of a flashlight and then heard Carl's voice.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He passed the flashlight over to someone and Beth caught a glimpse of Glenn's bloody face. Now that the oxygen was returning to her brain, she was starting to feel less dizzy.

"I'm alright." She rasped. "Did you kill him?"

"No. We just knocked him out. We figured you would want to do the honors." Glenn said.

"Martinez?" She asked.

Carl shook his head. "Walkers...he sacrificed himself to help us." Beth let herself feel a moment of sorrow for the man who had tried to help her. She felt bad that he had tried to change for the better and ended up dying anyway.

"There are no more people left now; there's only walkers and bodies." Glenn said.

Beth stared down at the slumped figure of the Governor lying in the hallway, his body barely illuminated by the light. She stared at the blood that had formed on his shirt from where she had stabbed him and she had an idea. "Grab him and follow me."

Glenn and Carl each grabbed an arm of the Governor and began dragging his body behind them, not caring what it hit in the process. She led them over to the building where Daryl had been held earlier.

"Let's tie him up."

...

It was a short time later that the Governor slowly came too. She watched from her position against the wall as he began to struggle against the ropes that were bound tightly around his wrists. She had sent Carl and Glenn for Daryl, not wanting an audience for this. This was her game now. She waited quietly until the Governor's eyes landed on her.

"You must be awfully proud of yourself Elizabeth." He muttered.

She smiled as she pushed herself off of the wall. She was nervous, but she was determined not to let it show. "Actually, I am. I didn't think I was going to get the chance to repay you for the _kindness_ you have shown me." She said.

He frowned. "You couldn't handle it. You're not strong enough." He smirked.

Beth smiled coldly. "Oh I think I can do some damage. Don't you want to play with me?"

The Governor scoffed. "You'll pay for this."

Beth came to a stop right in front of him. She leaned over until they were nose to nose. "Oh, but I do believe I already had my turn. Now it's _your _turn." She held the knife up for him to see.

"_Tit for tat,_ isn't that right?"

...

The early light of morning was just beginning its rise from the darkness when Beth finally emerged from the building. She was covered in blood and bits of flesh, but appeared to be otherwise unharmed. Glenn and Carl exchanged a glance at her appearance.

"Jesus, Beth. What happened in there?" Glenn asked.

She wiped her hair out of her eyes, leaving a red smudge across her face before replying. "I just showed him the same courtesy that he had shown me. It's done. He's no longer going to be a threat to us."

She wobbled on her feet and Glenn reached out a hand to steady her. He and Carl had taken out the rest of the walkers in hte fence before going back to search for Daryl. They had found him pinned underneath a walker and at first glance they had thought him to be dead. As they had pulled the walker off of him, he had moaned and they had seen the piece of wood protruding from the walker's skull. They had checked him for bites but there were relieved not to find any. Between him and Carl, they had finally managed to get him over to the building with some effort. Now they were both staring at Beth like she was some creature from a foreign land. She seemed unfazed by the events so far. Either that or she was in shock, Glenn reasoned.

He watched as her eyes landed on Daryl. She ran over to where they had him propped against a tree. He was still out of it but this time when she pressed her hand to his forehead it was relatively cooler and for that she was glad. Glenn and Carl watched as she pressed a soft kiss to his lips and then stood.

Carl was silent for a few moments before speaking. "Did anyone see my Dad?" He asked.

Beth felt her heart break slightly. She hated to be the one to bring him this news. "He's gone Carl." She said softly.

Carl nodded and stood there stiffly. Beth wrapped her arms around him in a hug, but he didn't cry. She pulled back to look at him. "It's alright. I've already done my grieving." He said hoarsely.

Beth nodded. "He would have been proud of you." She whispered in his ear.

He smiled at her then. "Yeah."

"What about Carol? Michonne? I haven't seen them anywhere either." Glenn asked. They already knew about Sasha, Tyreese, and Hershel.

Beth gasped. "I almost forgot! Carol and Michonne are both alive! Daryl and I were with them right before this whole thing happened. They probably don't even know what's happened!"

Glenn let out a breath. "At least we didn't lose everyone." He mumbled and they all fell silent, each of them thinking of the ones who had fallen.

Glenn and Carl crossed over to stand next to Beth and together they surveyed the damage. Nothing stirred amidst the piles of bodies. It looked like a war zone with bodies lying all over the place. The first rays of sunlight began winking between the trees and Beth sighed. She moved between the two men and they wrapped their arms around her silently. Drawing comfort from their embrace, she finally felt like she could relax a little. Together, they had finally managed to bring the Governor down. It was a bittersweet victory though. Innocent lives had been lost before this could finally happen. Hershel, Rick, Tyreese, and Sasha had all been taken from them. She had made sure that the Governor had known before he died who each one of the wounds she had inflicted were for. They were silent for a long time, just leaning against each other in the pale light of the day. As Beth watched the sun rise slowly amidst the trees, she felt like this was the start of a new chapter. They were together, and together they had proved to be a force to be reckoned with.

"Let's go get the others and go home." Carl said.

"Where's home?" Beth asked.

"It's wherever we are. All of us, together." He replied and she smiled at him.

"What tha hell is goin' on and why tha hell are all y'all jus' standin' around?" Daryl's voice growled from beneath the tree.

They all three turned to stare at him. It was Beth who walked over to kneel beside him. His eyes raked across her and she knew he was looking for injuries.

"I'm fine." She said softly.

He nodded once and winced as some unforseen pain must have shot through him. His eyes widened and he glanced down at his leg. "I got bit." He muttered.

"No you didn't," Glenn spoke up from behind them. "You must have been hallucinating. The walker was dead."

Daryl was quiet a few moments as he processed this. "The Governor?" He asked.

"I killed him." She said.

Daryl's eyes shot to hers and he searched her eyes for a few moments. "No shit?" He finally asked. "So all them practice sessions paid off, huh?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You better be glad you're an injured man Daryl Dixon." She growled teasingly.

He was silent for several moments and she was beginning to think he had passed out again when he finally spoke. "So ya love me huh?"

She could hear the uncertainty in his voice and it tore at her heart. She nodded. "Yeah...I do."

He picked at the edge of his pants for a few moments. She could tell something was bothering him. "I didn't save ya." He said gruffly.

_So that was what was bothering him. He was upset because he felt like he had failed her?_ She sat down next to him and grabbed his hand. She ran her fingers lovingly over the rough skin there, drawing comfort from him.

"You did save me Daryl. You taught me how to protect myself in this world full of uncertainty. You taught me how to love you." She felt the tears in her eyes spill over, but she didn't even bother wiping them away. It felt good to cry.

He brought the rough pads of his thumbs up and swiped at the tears that trailed over her blood stained skin. He lifted his arm and pulled her as close to him as his body would allow with his injuries.

"Well I reckon' I love ya too then." He whispered.

...

_****AN: Ahhh, I hope that wasn't cheesy at the end. It seemed to fit at the time. I would like to take a moment and extend another thank you to everyone for sticking with me. The reviews, pm's, and support were all GREATLY appreciated. I may just have to write another similar to this soon. ;) **_


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